The Scars Not Seen
by RadientWings
Summary: Caroline had spent nearly five centuries looking for her past. Well, now she's in Mystic Falls looking for her future; she just didn't expect her past to be waiting there for her. Klaroline. SEQUEL to The Lines That Lie Between. AU. (HIATUS until July 23, 2013 - Will be traveling without internet!)
1. Prologue

**Hey everyone! I'm back with the next installment of The Lines That Lie Between (though I love new readers, I would suggest reading that first – this will get really confusing otherwise). I know I said it would be a while… But I decided to already put the prologue up and then do edits while I am working on the chapters for this story. Enjoy ;)**

**Just as a bit for what to expect, this story will be organized a lot like The Lines That Lie Between, with a prologue, probably around twenty or so long chapters and an epilogue :)**

**Disclaimer: Yup, just checked, ownership of TVD is not mine.**

Prologue

I remember the day I awoke for what seemed to be the very first time. I was already a vampire back then, that fateful night in 1560. It had all been a haze, at first. I could not make out what happened, my memories were a blank space in my head. There was just nothing - and, _no,_ it doesn't have anything to do with being blonde.

Still, I knew the fundamental things like what my name was, my age, right and wrong, and that I was a vampire. The rest was just gone, and, believe me when I say it was a friggin' _pain_.

The first face I saw upon my awakening was that of someone I now hold very dear. Anna and her mother, Pearl, were my family in my time of need and I am pretty sure I would long be dead, or well, dead again, without them. Pearl always used to say that loyalty was everything. That, without it, a vampire would find herself vulnerable.

But, you can't always stick with a safety net. Sometimes a girl needs to find her own way, right? So, I drifted from them. Saw the entire world. Sometimes, when I found myself in a new place, I already knew the language. It just came to me, like I had learned it before. It was those little things, those clues that told me I had a past. That I wasn't just dropped and left behind on the earth...

And, my dreams. Those familiar yet unrecognizable figures that haunted my sleep for as long as I could remember. They were what told that I needed to find out what happened, find out where I came from, whom I was.

I needed to find me. But centuries of searching only left me with the scarcest bits of information. It was like I really and truly didn't exist before I woke up that day. One dead end after another.

Then I thought of it, this idea. Start a new life, a different life. I had used centuries looking for my past – well maybe it was time to look to my future. Become more than a shadow of a person.

And, sometimes when you're not looking for something, it has a way of popping back up at the most unexpected times.

So, it's off to Mystic Falls with me. Maybe I'll find my future there, and maybe, just maybe my past will pop up too.

But, if there is one thing I know, it's that Caroline Forbes is going to take that town by storm, past or not.

**That's it for now, you lovely people :) By the way, only the prologue will be in first person, just like TLTLB.**

**Thanks for rejoining my little world and don't forget to comment!**

**RW**


	2. Searching Souls

**Ok guys, this is the official first chapter of The Scars Not Seen and I sincerely hope you all enjoy it!**

**Thank you to Katherina9988, Trich, Bell16, arabella, StefanxKlaus14, chillwithJyl, deceptivedecadence, Sci-fi Christian, horsegirl75, redbudrose, Clara, **_**Guest, **_**lala931, Crazygirl8243, restlesssoul21, Luv22, Lily94, PsychVamp, shadowfaxangel, xx-MissM-x, Lazerlicious, Banana71588, InuGnome17, KahlanDarcy, nicaha23, angelvboo, I Love All Books TVD Klaroline, tearzofthestarz, babyvfan, mawwaw, Kat7CA, DawnWalnut, LoveandWinning, TaylorMikaelson, peachx89, BiancaR, v, epic sweetness712, clashcityrocker083, MarsterRoo, BlueJean452, **_**Guest, **_**ILoveYou1978, Garota for reviewing the prologue and to those of you who have decided to join us for this leg of the story, thanks also!**

**IMPORTANT: I went through TLTLB the last couple of days, editing some pretty horrid typos and mistakes and I just wanted to tell you all about the biggest change I made. I made it so that Caroline was actually SEVENTEEN when she was turned. So she is cannon aged (physically). She still met Klaus when she was a year younger, but I changed the time-skip in Chapter 17 'Down Days' of TLTLB from a few weeks to several months, therefore passing by her birthday ;) I did this simply because the age difference was bothering me AND I don't want everything to be different from the cannon. I hope you all don't mind!**

**I just want to apologize for the long wait for this chapter – I had major writer's block and the semester is starting again :(**

**Disclaimer: No TVD for me.**

Chapter 1

Searching Souls

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2009_

Caroline Forbes slowed the car down in front of the house, _her _house she had to remind herself, letting out a small sigh. The house wasn't particularly big, but she quite liked it. It was quaint and white and a place that could be called home.

She wasn't sure what she was doing here anymore. It had all been so clear to her when she had first made the plan, when it this idea first occurred to her. And now, here she was, but nothing was clear.

Nothing.

* * *

_Paris, France 1560_

Caroline woke up slowly, her eyes flickering a little as awareness came back to her and, when they finally opened, she was surprised to be in an unfamiliar room. Trying to clear her mind, she sat up slowly. Her head was pulsing in an awful way; it was as if someone had placed many hard objects in Caroline's skull and then shook it about until their arms had began to ache. The brightness around her burned her eyes. Even the wavering candlelight was almost too much for her head.

Taking a calming breath, Caroline scanned around the room, trying not to panic at waking up in a place she did not know. She tried to find something that was remotely familiar to her.

There was nothing

_Where am I? _The question kept popping up in her aching head as she tried to find the answer.

_How did I get here? _

She tried remembering how she had gotten to where she was but as she looked back there was only a blur. Confused, she tried to remember something, _anything_, about the days previous only to get the same result. Panicking, she tried to look back even further.

Her head began ringing and there was still not a single memory that she could recognize. She couldn't remember. She couldn't remember yesterday, or the day before, months ago... _years _ago. She couldn't remember a single thing. No memory. Nothing. Now was the time to panic.

_W-What is this?_

Caroline knew this was not natural. She knew that this should not be happening to any normal person. People had memories! They had lives and other people! So, why…? She didn't understand. What was going on?

She took a moment to calm herself. _Alright Caroline, think about what you know, not what you don't._ Caroline paused a moment to take a shuddering breath, trying to get her head to pulse less. When she was done with that, she focused on the task at hand.

She knew her own name, that much clear. Her name was Caroline Forbes, but _who _was she? As she thought on it, bordering on panic once more, she began to become aware of a burning in her throat and, for an unknown reason, she knew water would not be enough to quench it.

Knowing she should probably not waste anymore time trying to find some answers only to end up in another fit of panic, Caroline stood up from the bed, heading towards the door. She needed to get out of this strange place. Maybe if she went somewhere familiar, it would bring memories to her. Besides, she wasn't even sure what she was doing here... What if someone had taken her and planned to do despicable things to her?

Well, that was not going to happen, that much Caroline would make damn sure of.

Just as she was about to leave, the very same door she was headed to cracked open and a young brunette girl walked in, a worried look on her face. Caroline didn't even realize what she did next, reacting purely on instinct. She ran to the girl fast, blurring, and held her to a wall. It would only occur to her later just why and how she had such speed.

"Who are you?" She demanded with a hiss.

"My name is Anna, I am a friend." The girl said, surprisingly calm, even at being pinned to a wall.

"How would I know you are a friend?" Caroline bit back, her confusion and desperation making her seem harsher than she truly was.

"Well…" Suddenly the girl had Caroline pinned, holding the taller blonde up by her throat, though not squeezing enough that she would lose her breath. "… I could have done this right away."

Caroline gaped at Anna, her eyes wide even as the other girl dropped her gently to the ground.

When Anna held out a hand to help Caroline back up, the blonde girl accepted it gratefully.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2009_

Caroline wasn't sure if she could do this. Sure, she had moved around before. She had been all over the world, from big cities to exotic forests; she had seen it all. Yet, now as she stood in front of the house, she was hesitating.

She had never before really made a place her home. For the past centuries Caroline had been a nomad more than anything else. Travelling, never staying in one place too long. Though, she had rather liked her nomadic lifestyle, it was not the true life she yearned for.

But, she kept travelling. Searching. She looked and looked for her past.

Caroline just didn't realize it would be so very hard to find.

* * *

_Paris, France 1560_

Caroline stared wide-eyed at her two companions, her face a mask of confusion and shock.

"You-you are both like me? Vampires?" She questioned, her voice quiet and a little desperate sounding.

"Indeed." The answer came from Pearl, who Caroline had found out was Anna's mother. The older woman across from her regally, her burgundy dress wrapping perfectly around her figure. She was what Caroline pictured nobility to be like.

"How old _are_ you?"

"Close to a century now." Pearl replied, glancing at her daughter. "I have passed my ninetieth year some months ago." Caroline gaped at the mother and daughter pair. _They look so young…_

"Do you know how old _I_ am?" She asked, wondering how much her 'friends' really knew about her. After Caroline and Anna had met, the apparently younger vampire had tried to ask her companion questions, the ones that had been plaguing her since she first opened her eyes. All Anna told tell her was her name and that she was a vampire, both of which Caroline already knew about herself. Before Caroline could query some more, Anna had insisted that they see Pearl.

_Maybe Pearl knows, after all, it seems Anna defers to her, perhaps her mother has more knowledge… She does seem the type that wishes to know everything about everyone…_ Caroline looked at the woman across from her with hope in her eyes.

"I am afraid not, my dear." Caroline's face fell as her little sliver of hope was crushed.

"Do you, per chance, know anything about me? At all?" She knew her question may have come off as rude, but Caroline cared not. She just wanted some answers.

"It seems I know even less than you, Caroline. I suppose you do not remember but my daughter and I met you only yesterday, when you visited our apothecary. We recognized that we were of the same kind and began to converse. We had eventually agreed to meet at a later date. However, when we came to see you, we found you lying on the floor, unconscious it seemed…" Pear gazed at her with dark brown eyes.

"If you had only met me yesterday, why did you stay to help me? Why not just leave?" The question came out in honest curiosity.

"Dear girl." Pearl laughed. "One does not simply abandon a friend, even a new one, for what is the purpose of eternal life without friendship and loyalty?" Anna nodded in agreement, smiling at said 'girl'.

That was all it took for Caroline to decide she liked the little family and she grinned, however small and depressed that grin was, at them in return.

* * *

_Paris, France 1600_

For the past forty years, Caroline had lived with Anna and Pearl in the house that she later found out was actually hers. They had become her family, in every sense of the word. Caroline did not remember her own mother, but whenever she imagined her, the nameless figure in her mind took the shape of Pearl. She and Anna also had gotten on extremely well; like sisters, in fact.

Still, even as she relearned how to live life as a vampire, she felt something missing. The first twenty years of her stay with the other vampires, or, rather, their stay with Caroline herself, they had, all three, vigorously searched for clues to Caroline's past.

Try as she might, Caroline could not stop trying to find her lost memories and as she looked in her black void, she realized that her heart was missing something as well. Something important, like a part of her was just gone.

For some reason, she liked to imagine that that part had the most spectacular blue eyes_._

It was to no avail, however and, as the years went by, the priority for her past went down and down until the search had become virtually non-existent.

But in the last few weeks, Caroline had been plagued with thoughts on her empty memories. Not to mention, the _dreams_. For as long as she had known herself, ever since the day she first woke up, Caroline had dreamt those same dreams.

When she closed her eyes and slept, they would just always be there. The most prominent dream was the one with the faceless man. He would hold her tight and make the black hole inside her, the one that inundated her waking days, disappear. The shadow man, the faceless man, he made her feel more whole than anything else.

And Caroline longed with her entire heart to know why.

She had told Anna about her dreams, once and, though Anna tried her best, she did not understand, and the blonde vampire had the feeling that maybe she never would. When she spoke with Pearl, the woman had told her to try and move on, to leave the past behind.

But how could she? She did _try_, really she did, but how could she leave behind her past when it wouldn't let go of _her_?

So Caroline knew she had to go her own way, even if just for a little while. She would begin her search again.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2009_

In hindsight, Caroline realized how lucky she had been with Anna and Pearl as her companions. Maybe she would have been better off if she had stayed with them, she did not know. It had been many years since she had last seen Anna, even longer since she had seen Pearl, but Caroline did try to visit them every now and again, just to see how her first friends in the world were doing.

After finally deciding to end her tireless, hopeless search for something that probably no longer existed, Caroline had briefly considered looking for the other two vampires and joining them again. In the end, she had decided against it. Although she still considered the pair to be dear friends, she stood by what she had decided all those years ago.

Caroline had to go her own way and hopefully this time she would do it right and actually _live._

And to start her new life, she would do what every other kid her age, physical age that is, did.

Yep, Caroline Forbes was headed to high school.

As Caroline finally moved from her car and headed towards her new house, her new _home, _she realized that the one thing she truly regretted was never finding the shadow man, the one she would forever dream about.

* * *

Caroline did _not _get nervous. She just didn't. It wasn't her thing. There was a completely reasonable explanation as to why her stomach was doing somersaults and it was _not _because she had just entered the front hall of Mystic Falls High School. And it was _definitely_ not because she had just enrolled in her sophomore year.

_Oh come on! Get a grip! You are nearly five hundred years old, act like it! _Caroline considered that idea idly for a moment. Inwardly, she cracked a smile at the thought of reactions the students would have if she actually _did _act like a centuries-old vampire… On second thought, that was probably not her brightest idea.

Caroline was forcibly yanked out of her thoughts when a decidedly male body crashed into her, sending her sprawling to the floor in a heap. _There goes vampire grace_…

"Oh, crap! I'm sorry." Suddenly there was an outstretched hand waving around in her face and Caroline glanced up to the owner of the hand with a heated glare. Staring down at her with a worried expression was a blond-haired, blue-eyed teen wearing a red letterman jacket. "I didn't see you there, y'okay?"

"Fine." Caroline stated, trying to keep her calm and hesitantly taking his hand, allowing him to pull her up. He quickly bent back down to giver her schoolbag back to her. "Thanks." She said, quirking her lips slightly.

"Hey, you're new, right?" The guy asked, his tone friendly, smiling at her with a row of shining white teeth.

"Yeah." She paused for a moment, wondering whether or not she should introduce herself. _Who are you kidding? You wanted a new life, right? What better way to start then by talking to a cute boy?_ "I'm Caroline." This time she held her hand out, 100 watt smile on her face.

"Matt." He replied, grasping her hand in a firm, yet still soft grip. "Nice to meet you. So, I'm guessing you need to get your schedule, huh?"

"Yeah, I just have to find the office."

"Come on, let me show you. It's the least I could do after knocking you over like that." Matt offered.

"Thanks. That'd be great." _Huh_, Caroline thought, _maybe this whole school thing won't be so hard, after all._

* * *

Caroline dropped her bag heavily on the desk just as the bell rang, relieved she found her way to her second class of the day with no problem. As she relaxed in her chair, she found herself seated next a pretty, brown-skinned girl who was looking at her in interest. As the teacher busily wrote on the board, the girl leaned over and tapped her shoulder.

"Hi, you're the new girl, Caroline right?" She asked, curiosity shining out of brown eyes.

"That's me!" Caroline answered, trying to sound somewhat perky and high-schoolish... _Is that even a thing?_

"Great! I'm Bonnie, by the way." She said with a welcoming smile, before turning back to face the front as the teacher began reciting her classroom expectations and handing out the syllabus for the year.

Throughout class, Bonnie and Caroline were whispering to each other, just some friendly girl talk, and Caroline found herself easily warming up to the other teen. It had been a while since she could last just relax into a conversation.

By the end of class they had exchanged phone numbers and Caroline was happy to find she was already making a friend.

* * *

When the bell rang again, Caroline was quick to leave the stuffy classroom, wanting nothing more than to have some fresh air. Don't get her wrong, she didn't mind class, it's just she hadn't been around this many people in a long time. Making her way to her designated locker, she spotted someone that was eerily familiar. _It couldn't be... _

Caroline froze as she saw her, the girl. The one that looked _exactly _like her, like Katherine. _What...? That can't be... _She stared at her, wondering what to do. She couldn't just ignore her, could she? Unknowingly, she had almost approached her when, to her shock, Bonnie went over and gave the brunette a hug. Even more shocking, the brunette hugged _back_. Bewildered, Caroline listened in.

"_So, how'd the big date go last week?" _Caroline immediately recognized Bonnie's voice.

"_It went great! Matt was just so sweet…" _'Katherine' replied. _Well, there goes the distracting cute boy…_

"_And a good kisser, right Elena?" _Bonnie teased.

_Elena? _Caroline thought. _Could it be possible that this wasn't Katherine? Surely…_ But as she continued to observe the two friends, she became more and more convinced that maybe this really wasn't Katherine. It should be impossible but… It was in this Elena's demeanor. Katherine, though she was a good actress, could never really hide that confident saunter of hers, nor could she keep that look out of her eye, the one that, once you saw, you knew things were going to go terribly, utterly wrong. But, Elena had warm brown eyes, _how was it possible?_ There were differences between Katherine and Elena, but so many similarities as well.

The one thing that had her more convinced than anything that perhaps this was not the same vampire she knew was that whenever Caroline saw Katherine, she always felt oddly wary, frightened almost. Yet, now, she had no such feelings.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864_

Anna giggled as Caroline regaled the tales of her time in Ohio. Both girls were happy when Caroline finally decided to come for a long overdue visit. She was to stay for a few months with her old companions and help Pearl run her apothecary.

"That is enough, girls. Anna, you have chores. Caroline, I need your help organizing the containers." Both vampires in question immediately moved to help their elder, sighing a little.

Just then the door opened, and Caroline glared as soon as she saw who walked in.

She had always hated Katherine Pierce.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2009_

Maybe there was more to the story, maybe there was a spell; witches and their spells always seemed to be able cause the wackiest things. It didn't matter, but Caroline knew she would have to find out more about this Elena, human or vampire, old nemesis or not. So when Bonnie finally walked away from the brunette, Caroline decided to make her approach. _Now or never...__  
_

Caroline looked at the girl that looked so much like Katherine but, yet, seemed human and kind. She approached slowly, a confident smile on her face.

"Hi. I'm Caroline, new here in Mystic Falls… I was wondering if you could help me find my way to history? I'm kind of lost…" The brunette nodded at her understandingly, brown eyes filled with sympathy.

"Of course!" She replied. "It's nice to meet you, Caroline. I'm Elena."

Caroline may have expected a lot of things, but she never expected that moment to be the beginnings of a life-long friendship.

**That's it for now :) This is more of an intro chapter than anything else so it's a little shorter than the rest will be. In case you missed it, Caroline's estate is the one that Klaus had originally bought for the two of them. Since the school year is starting again, I'm afraid updates will probably only come once a week :( **_**By the way, the first one shot for this series is up in The Stories Of Old!**_

**Bonus points for anyone who can find the preview flashes (there are two in this chapter) that were in TLTLB :D**

**Next chapter: More flashbacks, Klaus' POV, and... the Salvatores?**

**Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave any questions or comments!**

**RW**


	3. Shadow Man

**Thank you to Delena and Klaroline Forever, L, melyna1864, Crazygirl8234, Lisolotte, meagainpauline (x2), vampire-hybrid, **_**Guest**_**, **_**Guest,**_** chillwithJyl, shadow74, shadowfaxangel, featherwing25, Kat7CA, Garota, Trich, Bell16, Mintylove-Kristina, elijahlover, Clara, InueGnome17, KlausxCaroline14, **_**Guest, **_**Anneliese, ZZGA, LorenaLaufey (x2), deceptivedecadence, Lazerlicious, BiancaR, I Love All TVD Books Klaroline, xx-MissM-xx, lilylulurose, pinkpanda07, TaylorMikaelson, angelvboo, BlueJean452, and PsychVamp for reviewing!**

**Just to clarify something regarding Caroline knowing Katherine, Caroline does not have any memory of Katherine before she 'met' her with Pearl and Anna. Katherine, for reasons which you will find out, has not told our dear Care a thing (that doesn't mean she isn't nasty to her though.) Anyways, I hope that makes sense!**

**I just want to apologize for the longer wait for this chapter; I was on a school trip with no access to technology. Anyways, I hope this makes up for it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD.**

Chapter 2

Shadow Man

_Dover, England 1560_

Klaus stared at the woman across from him, watching her almost Orient features as they revealed nothing to him. Pearl was a young vampire in comparison to himself and they both knew it. Any other given day, Klaus would have boasted on it, _thrived _on it. He would have intimidated her and forced her into doing his bidding, as was his nature and, dare he say it, _right _as an Original.

But today was not such a day. Today, he _begged_ because today he would lose the one thing that meant most to him in the world, the one thing that made him almost human. Caroline, his Caroline.

His gaze suddenly drifted to the blonde vampire in question, looking at where she lay unconscious on the sofa across from him. He watched the subconscious rise and fall of her chest with a heartbreaking intensity. His chest ached deeply as his eyes scanned over her. _What else can I do?_

_What else is there?_

_Who else is there?_

His black heart shattered.

Turning his eyes back to Pearl's, he kept his gaze cool, finally locking down on his emotions.

"I must ask this is of you, what say you?" The younger vampire, Anna, glanced to her mother as she clutched the older woman's hand with a tight grip.

A moment of silence and then Pearl nodded. "I will care for the girl as I care for my own daughter." She stated, meeting his sharp eyes with her own, a serious look upon her face.

"Thank you." He said quietly. "I trust you know what I must do next? It is for her safety… and yours." A look of uncertainty passed her face for only a minute before she once again nodded.

"I do, m'Lord Niklaus." Klaus stood from his perch on the hard-backed chair and approached the pair.

"Which one of you will go first?" He asked, looking at them steadily.

"My daughter, m'lord. I must be assured that she will be alright." Klaus glanced at her briefly, as if questioning her loyalty. Any other time, the look would have quaked her in her seat. As it was Klaus was simply… drained. It was as if all of his emotion was wiped off the page and he had become a book without words. Empty. Unfeeling. Alone.

"Very well." Klaus crouched and gripped Anna by her shoulders. His pupils widened and immediately her face adopted a dreamy expression. As he compelled a vampire for the second time that day, Klaus could feel the black hole inside hime widening and eating at his already blood-soaked soul. When it was done, Anna fell sideways in an unconscious state, following his command to 'fall asleep'. He then faced Pearl and began anew, forcing his mind into hers, working his compulsion. As she too fell unconscious, Klaus stood once more and beckoned his lackeys to come forward.

"Grab those two and bring them to the carriage. You will bring them to Paris as fast as possible, keep them under vervain in the meantime so they do not awake in panic…" He glared at the three younger vampires with utter menace. "If you harm either of them, I will not be so merciful as to end your pitiful lives with _stakes_." Looking properly frightened, two of men went to pick up Anna and Pearl as the third stood to the side of the room, awaiting orders.

Labelling the third as insignificant, Klaus turned and crouched before her, his love, his Caroline. He gazed silently upon her and _feeling _came back… horrible feeling, pain and hurt and an undying love. He raised his hand and ran his thumb lightly down her cheek, pausing at her lower lip. He leaned forward and placed a lingering kiss to forehead, trying to enjoy this last moment with her. He was surprised to feel a burning behind his eyes, his throat tight. Then, abruptly, Klaus stood and he once again faced the other man in the room.

"Take her, as well and do as the others did... Only, if I find out _she _had been hurt, I can promise you that there will be nowhere you can hide from me." His commanding turned gruff and cold, as he glared at the other man. He tried in vain to ignore the anger and jealously as he watched the man pick up his blond angel and carry her out the door.

It was when the door closed that Klaus shut out his feelings to world once and for all.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, 2010_

_Caroline walked around aimlessly, the blackness around her taking away all her senses. All that was left was herself and the man standing across from her. As she looked at him, she felt the sudden urge to reach out and wrap herself around him. But it would not happen, it had not happened in the last thousand times she had dreamt this particular tale._

_Instead, they stood across from each other, forever at a state of limbo. Had Caroline been able to, she would somehow shatter the nerve-wracking limbo that came every time she closed her eyes._

'_Who are you to me?' She asked the shadow man in her dreams... The one that gazed upon in her with eyes that were a shade of blue that she had never seen. His eyes were absolutely mesmerising. 'Why do I know you?'_

_And then as she reached out to him, wanting to touch him, finally. But then as she felt herself get sucked into his blue, blue eyes, he disappeared._

_Now everything really was black._

Caroline awoke with a gasp, her heart pounding.

It was no surprise she found her heart was also yearning for him, for the blue-eyed shadow man.

_Who are you?_

* * *

_London, England 2010_

_Her hand reached out to him, her angelic face one of curiosity and hope. Caroline. Beautiful Caroline. Just as she was about to touch him, she disappeared all together and Klaus found himself standing alone. _

When Klaus awoke from his dream, he did not gasp or panic. No, that period had long passed, only happening the first few times he had had the dreams. Now, it was simply a part of his livelihood. There was no way to avoid them, after all, even vampires need their sleep. Sometimes he wondered if that was strictly true though, that he could do nothing about his predicament... Maybe something could be done if he kept on trying… or maybe he wanted his dreams because, without them, there was a chance that Klaus would forget what she had looked like.

He sighed. _Caroline._

Klaus had vowed to himself never to forget the blonde vampire, even if he just remembered her in passing. For a long time, he had kept a watchful eye on her, one that was far away. Then, little less then century ago, she disappeared completely and his trackers lost her. She was truly gone to him and there was nothing that Klaus could, _should_ do about it.

She was happy without him. She had to be.

There was no one else who deserved a little happiness more. Caroline was good and she had been enough throughout her life. He should know, he was the one keeping track of her before she went missing. Still, it was difficult, watching on the sidelines, never truly able of getting your one, true desire.

And he couldn't even hope to see her one day, eventually.

She didn't even know who he was, after all.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

Who knew it was only a year ago that Caroline had made her new life? Caroline sure didn't. She was no longer the loner vampire that traveled from place to place looking for something that obviously didn't exist anymore. It had been nearly five centuries, how much more time could she spend? Of course, the dreams still plagued her nights, the shadow man never too far off, however, she wasn't the same person she had been only a year ago. Nope, now she was Caroline Forbes, bubby blond cheerleader currently attending Mystic Falls High School and best friend of Elena Gilbert and Bonnie Bennet.

The day their junior year started, Caroline walked into school with a big smile. She received several hellos from her fellow classmates as she made her way to her assigned locker. Once there, she let her mind wander, putting away her books and binders in their rightful places. She hoped she would get to see Elena soon. Her human friend had had a tough summer; she had only just lost her parents and Caroline knew that the grief must have been weighing heavily on the brunette.

Caroline was not a stranger to loss, after all.

She had barely had a chance to comfort Elena during the holiday months since both girls were separated, and, the blonde knew that sometimes such grief had to be dealt with alone. No matter, Caroline would now be there for the other girl, as much as she was needed. She wasn't about to lose her only human friends.

Seeing said girl across the corridor, she closed her locker hastily and greeted her heartily. As she smiled at her friend, Elena replied with a grin of our own, one that the vampire knew for a fact was fake. Still, she gave the girl a gentle hug in return and toned down her supposed 'dumb blonde' persona, instead opting for silent, somewhat unseen comfort.

Hopefully she could be of some help for a change.

* * *

It was later on that Caroline felt an oddly familiar presence. The feeling wasn't an ominous one or something like that, it was just… out of place. Still, she would stay on her guard, just in case. Of course, this soon changed as Caroline turned around and caught sight of someone she had not seen in _years. _She froze in her surprise.

_Is that… Stefan? What is he doing here? He hasn't been here in almost a decade… I thought he was avoiding coming home… and now he's here? _As all these thoughts flew threw her mind, she vaguely noted the awkward conversation that occurred between Elena and Stefan. In any other moment, she would have laughed at the sight but, right now, her mind was still processing the idea of _Stefan being here._

A sudden happiness bubbled up into her. _Stefan's here! _Caroline did not have many people that she trusted implicitly or that she shared a close friendship with, but Stefan Salvatore (and yes his brother, Damon, as well, Caroline grudgingly admitted) was definitely one of them.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864_

Caroline and Anna entered the large white house arm-in-arm, their evening dresses swishing with their movements as they made their way through the throng of people. It was another 'Founding Families' event and both girls had been told to attend by Pearl, who said they needed to keep up their appearances.

As such, the vampires mingled appropriately until eventually Caroline found herself standing alone, watching as Anna was spun around on the dance floor. Her loneliness did not last, however, when someone joined her at her side.

"I am happy not to be the only one who avoids dancing." Came a deep voice from beside her. Caroline turned to meet green eyes set in the face of smiling teenager. "I am sorry but I do not believe we have met. My name is Stefan Salvatore and, might I ask who you are?" Stefan continued to grin at her, his face open and without a sign of any other intentions other than being just plain friendly. Caroline immediately took a liking to him as she held out her own hand, smiling back at him.

"My name is Caroline Forbes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Stefan."

* * *

"So you do not know anything of your past?" Caroline nodded to Stefan's question, her face somewhat sad looking. The two of them had become fast friends. Their friendship was purely platonic but the blonde vampire had grown quite fond of her companion. It was something akin to what a family must feel like, she thought. In fact, Caroline already trusted him enough to tell him what she really was. Of course, this probably had something to do with the fact that Katherine, damn her, had already told the youngest Salvatore that vampires existed in the first place. And let's not forget the compulsion he had been put under by the devil herself, either.

It hurt Caroline to see her friend being used by the older vampire, but she could do nothing against it. Katherine was simply too strong, too cunning for her. So she tried her best to help Stefan out, show him that not all vampires were like Katherine. In the meantime, she also found herself revealing much of herself to the young man. There was something about Stefan that just made her want to talk, maybe it was the fact that he was always willing to listen.

Caroline was startled out of her thoughts when a hand gently patted her shoulder.

"Don't worry, _bella._" She smiled and rolled her eyes at the use of the silly nickname. "I'm sure you will eventually find something, it can't all be gone, your still here, aren't you?"

"I suppose you're right, Stefan." She looked at him with a grateful gaze. "Thank you."

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

Caroline smiled as memories of the Salvatore brothers filtered through her head. She wasn't ashamed to say she had missed them. They were her only contact, in the last century or so, to the vampire world. Anna and her had long been separated after Pearl… after Pearl... Despite of the fact that the Salvatores were her main connection to the outside world, she hadn't seen either brother in near a decade.

She soon saw Stefan approaching from what seemed to be the men's room. _What was Elena doing there before? _Caroline wondered if Stefan would notice her or if he would be too preoccupied with thoughts on the Katherine-look-a-like to do so. _Yes, I've noticed those obvious looks of yours, Stef. _Soon, she grew too impatient and decided to make it easier for her friend.

"Stefan!" Caroline cried happily as she ran forward to envelop the younger vampire in a crushing hug, enjoying his look of utter shock. After a brief moment's hesitation, his arms encircled her.

"Caroline?" He asked incredulously as he finally pulled away from her. "What are you _doing _here?" He looked so confused that the Caroline could not help the laugh that escaped her mouth.

"Same thing as you, Stef. Starting a new life and all that jazz." Her answer caused him to lift a disbelieving eyebrow before he shook his head once, a small, amused grin on his face and she simply beamed at him. During their exchange, Caroline noticed a certain brunette watching, and her smile turned mischievous. She grabbed Stefan's arm and propelled him towards Elena. He had tried to struggle initially, instinct she supposed, but he was no match for the much older vampire.

Elena looked at them with wide brown eyes, the questions she wanted to ask clear in them. She kept silent though, as they arrived to stand in front of her and Bonnie, who had the same shocked look on her face.

"Hey 'Lena, Bonnie, have met Stefan?" Caroline asked, playing dumb.

"Yes, actually, I have… Do you guys know each other?" Elena answered.

"Yeah!" Caroline said quickly before Stefan had a chance to answer. They couldn't come up with different stories; they had a cover to keep. "He and I went to the same school when I lived in Seattle." For some reason her answer seemed to cause the two girls to go even more slack-jawed. _Weird. _"We've been friends for a _long_ time."

Caroline glanced at Stefan and they both grinned a bit, knowing just how long she really meant.

"Wow, that's… well, that's great!" Elena said, seeming to have gotten over whatever was bothering her. Just then the bell rang and Caroline immediately began pulling Stefan away again.

"Got to go! I have to show Stef here around, I'll see you girls later!"

**Also, for those you asking about Klaus – his first appearance IN Mystic Falls will be around ch. 5 – ch. 7. That does not mean he will not be included in the actual story, however. I found one thing I loved a lot about TVD was how much suspense was put into Klaus' arrival; I hope to do something similar here ;)**

**So, I am aware that updates are shorter than from TLTLB, and I was wondering if I could ask you all a question. Would you rather I update more regularly with shorter chapters or somewhat less frequently with longer ones? Up to all of you :)**

**Next Chapter: Damon, more Klaus and Caroline finds a connection to her past.**

**Thanks for joining me!**

**RW**


	4. Life of Lies

**Thank you to batgirl2992, **_**Guest**_**, delenageek, MyNameIsAngel, ANGELiCAWROTE, Lovely Rain Dancer, Kiiimberly (x3), TwiHardSteph, arabella, Lily94, Kat7CA, shadowfaxangel, InuGome17, PsychVamp, Clara, Lord of Sin, **_**Guest**_**, chillwithJyl, meagainpauline, Delena and Klaroline Forever, Crazygirl8243, xx-MissM-xx, Katerina9988, BlueJean452, EasyParadise, Lisolotte, LorenaLaufey, Lazerlicious, MarsterRoo, StefanxKlaus14, garota, and angelvboo for reviewing!**

**Yes, I am still alive… I am so sorry for the long wait in between updates! Life got in the way… Anyways, this is a little look into the centuries after Caroline lost her memory and a bit of what Klaus has been up to in that time. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own TVD.**

Chapter 3

Life of Lies

_Pennsylvania, 1688_

Caroline sat in silence by the girl's broken body, watching as her pallid complexion slowly regained its color. The vampire had only seen part of what had happened, much to her anger. Of course, when she had discovered the group of village men harming one of the new arrivals, she did not have to think for a moment. She immediately jumped in and snapped their damn necks. For now, she did not regret her actions; the men were animals. Yet, she knew she would feel the regret, the pain, later, just as she always did, even if they had deserved all they had gotten. Life was still life and Caroline did not like to be the cause of it ending.

Caroline's thoughts were interrupted when suddenly the girl sat up, gasping. Her hands flew to her chest as she whipped her head around, the hood of her cloak falling from her head, exposing long blonde curls of hair. Her breathing quickened impossibly more and Caroline knew the girl was in the midst of a panic attack; the fact that she was in the middle of the transition certainly didn't help that either.

Immediately, the vampire reached out to help the frightened, formerly human girl. She took the other's hands into her own, trying to find a way to calm her down. The only way to do that now, she knew, was through to her with physical contact.

"Sh, it's alright. It is all alright." Caroline said, attempting to sound as soothing as she could.

"W-What? I-I don't-" The girl sounded utterly bewildered as her eyes flickered around.

"Breathe, just breathe. You must calm yourself." Caroline replied catching her eyes; it was times like these that she wished she could compel more than just humans... Not that she really used compulsion much...

"W-Who are you? I was sure I was..." She trailed off.

"My name is Caroline Forbes. And you are?" Caroline tried to get the frenzied dead girl to focus.

"Alexia. Alexia Branson."

"Well, Lexi, can I call you Lexi?" The newly dubbed 'Lexi' nodded her head dubiously. "Anyways, Lexi, I am afraid what I have to say does not bode well."

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"You know what happened, Lexi, you must only let yourself remember." Caroline's tone went completely serious.

"Let myself..." A sudden horrible recognition lit up Lexi's eyes. "The men, they attacked me! But then something else, someone else took them off of me... I was alive but then..." She glanced up to Caroline's with realization. "You! You forced me to drink something... And then you- You snapped my neck! But how-?" Lexi ripped her hands away from Caroline as if burned.

"I cannot deny any of it."

"W-Why did you do this to me?" The blonde girl asked, looking confused and heartbroken.

"You were dying… I could not just let you die so I saved you, gave you new life." Caroline replied meeting the woman's blue-eyed gaze, scanning her for further signs of the transition.

"You would save me? But, you do not even know me..." The other returned.

"You remind me of someone… someone in my dreams…" Then Caroline smiled at her sympathetically. "You have a choice now. You can choose to live or choose to die. Your new life would be different, it would be difficult but you would remain young forever and I would help you… I will not abandon you." She said, her voice sincere. She knew all too well the pain of being alone.

"What do you mean, I have a choice? I don't understand, what's going on?" The girl sounded heartbreakingly confused. "Why did you do this to me? Why did you attack me? And why does my head hurt so much?" As if saying the words made her head pound more, Lexi lifted her hands, cradling her head between them.

"I am going to show you something, but you must promise me not to panic; this may come as a shock to you."

"Why should I promise you anything? You were the one to attack me!"

"And yet I was also the one to save you from those fiends. Please, all I ask is a chance to explain." Caroline practically pleaded, not wanting the girl to leave and hurt herself, or others.

"Very well." She sighed after a minute.

Caroline paused for a moment; she had never done this before. The few friends she had knew of what she was, even those who were not vampire. However, from the stories she had been told, it was best to tell or show in no uncertain terms.

So, taking a deep breath, she allowed the bloodlust to take over. She soon felt the burn in her throat, signaling her unquenched thirst. When was the last time she had fed? Her canines were elongating to sharp points, she knew, and the veins around her eyes began to bulge, her eyes reddening into a deadly scarlet.

She glanced to Lexi, who gazed back, shocked.

"You're not human." She whispered.

"I am not... And neither are you, not anymore." The wind the howled lowly around them, as Caroline crouched down to the forest floor one more time, her waist-length hair floating around her, spilling out of the hood of her cloak. "You were dying when I found you, and there was nothing I could do to save you except turn you into what I am. So I fed you my blood, and I gave you a quick death, to save you pain."

"I'm dead." Lexi said flatly.

"Yes, and, should you chose, you will stay dead. I can offer you new life, it will not be the same, and it might become lonely, but it will be as much a life as you can have now. The choice is yours... Do you understand?" Caroline asked seriously, this was no time to make rash decisions. At the other girl's hesitant nod, she rose gracefully to her feet, and held a hand down in offering. "Then chose."

Lexi glanced at her hand as Caroline waited patiently. She would not push the young woman either way, no one deserved to be forced into this life. Pearl had always told her that just because she held power, did not mean she should use it unjustly.

What seemed like an eternity later, Lexi looked up at Caroline in resolve.

She grabbed the vampire's hand.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 1864_

Caroline knew she was one of the lucky ones, one of the few to have escaped the wrath of the town council. A wrath incurred by none other then the damned Katherine Pierce. Caroline knew from the very beginning that the woman was nothing but trouble. There was something about her, some sort of underlying menace. Not to mention, she constantly seemed to have it out for Caroline.

She could not blame Pearl for falling in with Katherine. The woman was frighteningly good at persuading even the strongest of people to do her bidding. Yet she had never managed to get Caroline to do so. And nor would she.

Oddly enough, it was for that sole reason that Caroline had managed to escape the founder's council. The animosity between her and Ms. Pierce was no secret in Mystic Falls; the council simply hadn't believed she could be a part of the vampire conspiracy because of it. By the time they had figured out just who Jonathan Gilbert's watch was pointing at, the blonde had been long gone.

She only wished she had been fast enough to warn Pearl. Now the only woman she had ever truly respected and thought of as a mother was trapped in a tomb. And Anna, the girl whom had been like a sister, she was on an impossible search for a way to free her only kin in the world.

The Salvatores, Stefan and Damon, those lovely boys... no, those strong, good men she had befriended, they had not survived either; or so she had thought. When she had fled from the place that had only caused her grief, she had forgotten of the letter she had sent her most faithful friend, Lexi, asking her to come for a visit.

When Caroline had later received a letter in return, detailing Lexi's discovery of a wayward vampire and his brother that needed her, _their_, help, she hadn't even thought of the possibility. It just couldn't be, could it?

Yet, it was.

So when she found herself facing the vampire she herself had created, and a pair of men she had thought dead, Caroline had smiled the most sincere, real smile she had ever smiled. The black hole inside her seemed to fill for a moment and she forgot her pain. She had embraced them all tightly, her tired mind finally at ease for the first time in what felt like centuries, who knows, maybe it really had been.

Still, she had smiled.

And then Damon, in his grief and hate, had left, abandoning his younger brother, Stefan. Caroline could not find it in her heart to force him to stay, however, so she had simply given him a few wise words to take on his journey with him.

She could not help the pain she felt at his departure, though.

* * *

_Chicago 1920s_

Gloria's voice floated in the background, the dim light only slightly illuminating the hazy room. There was the chatter of the patrons around her as Caroline made her way to the dance floor, her hand firm around the boy's. What his name? William? Thomas? Caroline could not remember, nor did she feel the need to, after all, she had no plans for him further than his presence allowing her to fit in.

Years before, when she, Lexi, and Stefan had been on the road together for a while, she had made herself a promise. A promise to always be there for her friends and not fail again, as she had with Pearl. Naturally, when word came to her that Stefan had once again fallen off the wagon, she had immediately gone after him.

Which is how she ended up in a random bar, dancing with a man whose name she could simply not put her finger on.

_Those Salvatores, always in the middle of all the trouble._

And then suddenly, she felt it, that feeling of being watched. But no just that, the feeling of being seen, _recognized_, as odd as that sounded. Caroline went rigid, the hairs on her neck rising. She glanced around, looking for her unknown and yet somehow familiar watcher. When she found nothing, she decided to shake it off. She would not chicken out now, she was here for a reason.

Soon enough her watcher was forgotten and Caroline lost herself in the music. Thomas, or whatever his name had been, was actually a quite competent dancer so Caroline decided she would dance until Stefan made his appearance. In his current state, she knew he wouldn't settle for a small entrance; this was ripper-Stefan after all.

"Care to spare a dance, love?" A deep voice came from behind her. Caroline was immediately reminded of her watcher.

There was a tap on her shoulder and for some reason it sent a shiver up her spine. Annoyed, she turned around, only to face the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on, with the most beautiful, blue eyes. Her refusal died on her tongue. All she could do was simply stare at him. There was something... Something familiar.

"Love?" The man prompted, seemingly amused by her tongue-tied state. Caroline could not help but to notice the sadness in his eyes, however. Dumbly, she nodded her approval and she soon found herself transferred into his arms. When his hands settled around her, a warm feeling filled her stomach. They danced for a while, and Caroline could not tear her gaze away from his eyes, she felt herself being sucked into them and yet she could care less. He was so familiar!

A few dances later, the question finally burst from her lips.

"I'm sorry, but is it possible that I know you from somewhere?" She asked, searching his face as he suddenly froze for a mere moment, before beginning the dance with a renewed vigor, pulling her close to him, until she was flush against his chest. The action caused her dead heart to skip a beat and Caroline felt years younger. Then, just as suddenly as he pulled her into him, he pulled away and shook his head, almost like he was grieving.

"No, Caroline." He whispered down at her and she was abruptly aware of how close his face was. _Hold on… Caroline?_

"Wait a moment, how do you know my name?" She asked only to have him smile at her enigmatically.

"_You _do not know me… I never said that _I _did not know you." They twirled around once, until they were in a shadowy corner of the room.

"Hold on-" And then Caroline found she could no longer speak because his eyes were truly all she could see, and all she could think about. _So blue…_

Distantly, she thought she could hear him say something.

"I'm sorry for doing this again, love."

* * *

Klaus led a dazed Caroline out of Gloria's, guiding her to a nearby hotel. He had nearly had a heart attack when he had realized she was there, _right in front of him_. It had been near five decades since he'd known of her whereabouts and she suddenly appeared right under his nose. At first, he had wanted to flee, get the hell away. He'd thought she would recognize him and demand answers.

But then it hit him that she wouldn't recognize him; he'd made sure of that all those years ago.

This was the first time in more than three and a half centuries he had seen her, truly seen her. She looked absolutely beautiful, her hair pinned up in precise curls, red dress swishing around her as her heels clicked against the floor. She was showing more skin than he had ever seen her do so, at least in public. This was the fashion nowadays, though, and another, more risqué part of him liked, no, _loved, _seeing her like this. Out there, dancing with nothing barred from him.

Without realizing, he had found himself heading towards her and the next thing he knew they had been dancing _together_, just like they did oh so long ago.

But soon enough, the dream had shattered.

_"I'm sorry, but is it possible that I know you from somewhere?"_

Now here he was, Klaus, the scariest Original of them all, more heartbroken than ever because the only girl he had ever loved didn't know him and it was all his own doing.

Standing in front of the hotel, he allowed himself to kiss her on the forehead, just this one time, before turning and looking back.

It was time for him and Rebekah to move on. Their father would close in soon enough, and Stefan was becoming too much of an attachment.

Plus, he needed to distance himself from Caroline before he did something stupid… Again.

That night after the attack by his father, after he had once again used his powers of compulsion – only this time on Stefan, after he had daggered his sister, and after he finally left Chicago, a policemen showed Caroline a drawing of him, of Klaus.

She said she had never seen him before in her life.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

"You alright there, _bella_?" Stefan's voice filtered through Caroline's mind as she continued to stare at the familiar menu in her hands with the work _Mystic Grill _inscribed in the corner.

"Hmm?" She glanced at her friend.

"I asked if you're ok… are you?" He repeated, looking somewhat concerned.

"Oh, yeah, m'fine." She mumbled, looking unseeingly at the menu once more. Taking a moment to gather herself, she sent him her thousand-watt smile. "So, whatcha getting, my bunny-eating friend?"

"Funny, Care." Stefan replied dryly before the waitress came and took their order.

"So, what have been up to this past decade, Stef?" Caroline asked, leaning down on the table and trying to focus on him. Today was just one of those days where she could not get her head out of the past.

"Oh, this and that."

"Sounds interesting." Caroline replied, bemused. "At least tell me Lexi has been visiting you on your birthday so you're not sitting around being all broody all the time." She said with an eye-roll.

"I don't brood _all _the time." Stefan grumbled.

"Really?" The disbelief in her voice could clearly be heard, before she shook her head with a smile.

"What about you, Care?" Stefan tried to steer the conversation away from him. "Have you found out anymore about your past?"

"Not really." The blonde vampire glanced down at her hands for a moment. "But, I've decided to put all that behind me. I haven't found anything for the last five hundred years, I'll probably never find anything now, right?" She barked out a bitter laugh. Stefan reached out and gripped her hand for a moment.

"Whatever you decide, you know I'll be behind you on it."

"Thanks, Stef." She sighed, squeezing his hand once before pulling back. "So, is Damon here with you?" She asked, casually.

"Oh, come on, Care, did you really have to bring him up? I know you like him, alright, but he is _not _a good guy." If Caroline didn't know better, she would have thought he was whining. But Stefan Salvatore did not whine, he just said with an annoyed tone.

"Look, I know you don't always get along but your brothers! You two have to get over this feud you have; you're stuck with each other for an eternity, whether you like it or not." They continued… _discussing _this for a while until Caroline noticed a familiar someone arrive. She smiled mischievously. _Perfect. _She excused herself and made her way over to Elena.

"Hey, 'Lena!" She smiled.

"Hey, Caroline." She replied, going in for a hug.

"So I noticed you making googly eyes at my friend there." Caroline said bluntly as they pulled away from each other.

"W-What? That's not-" She spluttered, tucking some of her chocolate brown hair behind her ear.

"Oh, it's true, Elena, and you know it is! And I say go for it!" The vampire slowly began leading her human friend to Stefan's table.

"Really?" The undisguised hope in said friend's voice made Caroline giggle.

"Yes! Who knows maybe a little Stefan is exactly what you're looking for." Immediately Elena began blushing and Caroline threw her wink before pushing her towards him. "Go on! Tell him I had to leave to do… homework, yeah, homework."

"Homework?" Elena replied, disbelievingly. "It was the first day of school."

"So? A cheer captain's work is never done." Caroline headed to do the door. "Have fun, and don't say I've never done anything for you!"

* * *

The next day, Caroline sighed as he drove onto the driveway of the boarding house. She immediately noticed the broken window, and sighed again. _Salvatores, always with the trouble_. She knocked the door and as she was waiting, she thought about the couple that had died. _Animal attack, yeah right._ She knew Stefan probably had nothing to do with it, he'd been clean for a while now, but that didn't mean they shouldn't discuss it.

There was no way Caroline was going to let some random vampire enter her town and kill its citizen. Uh-uh, not happening.

Finally the door swung open, only, when it did, she was not expecting who was standing inside.

"Ah, well how about that, it looks like Vampire Barbie just couldn't stay away." Damon smirked.

_Salvatores, _Caroline thought again, _nothing but trouble._

**I am not all that knowledgeable in some history, so some of the dates and such may be incorrect; if so, please let me know!**

**Who else is excited for the new season of TVD? It was actually the new episode that made me feel the need to finish this chapter. Again, I am so sorry for the long wait, I really had planned to get this out weeks ago. I hope this chapter made up for it :)**

**By the way, in regards to the Delena/Stelena thing, I am just going to stick with canon and not specify either one because this story is focused on Klaroline and I don't want to cause any sort of disappointment. I hope that's ok!**

**Anyways, let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	5. Fighting Phantoms

**Thank you to shadowfaxangel, Kat7CA, Bullet2tm, EternalLoveDreamer, aweo, batgirl2992, Dramatic Melody, BlueJean452, OKBooey31, Lily Blackthorne, nutmeganie, chillwithJyl, Thehungergames vampire diaries, Woop, **_**Guest**_**, Clara, Lazerlicious, arabella, InuGnome17, LorenaLaufey, Kiiimberly, Princess Aziza, Lovely Rain Dancer, Psych Vamp, justine, **_**Guest**_**, Crazygirl8243, Sci-fi Christian, and MarsterRoo for reviewing :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD or any of its characters.**

Chapter 4

Fighting Phantoms

_Kiev, Ukraine 1708_

A knock came at Klaus' door and he called out his admittance, his Ukrainian flawless, just like every other language he knew; he had always had a knack for them. In walked the girl he had earlier beckoned, a pleased blush gracing her cheeks, making her hair seem even more red than it already was; an exotic color, to be sure. It must be such a _thrill _to her, he realized, being called upon by a lord. Little did she know...

"My Lord Niklaus" She curtsied clumsily, clearly unpracticed in the proper etiquette. He lifted two fingers to call her closer.

"I am glad you decided to join me after all, love." He said, watching her closely as she stood before him, fidgeting. She looked nothing like _her… _good. He suddenly stood, and circled her slowly, examining her.

"M'lord?" The girl questioned, confused and, from the sound of her voice, a little worried.

"You need not preoccupy yourself. I swear to you no, no harm will come to you by the hands of others." Immediately the redhead's shoulders dropped a little, relieved. _Simpleton, _Klaus thought. Soon he placed himself directly in front of her and she looked up at him with wide eyes. He brought his hand up to caress the hollow of her throat. He did that for a while until she was completely relaxed, causing Klaus to smirk in anticipation. His hand rose a little until it casually squeezed around the girl's throat.

Her eyes widened comically more, frightened. Klaus chuckled, his eyes already darkening with the need for blood. The girl had realization dawning on her features and no small amount of terror appeared there as well. _Finally. _Klaus loved that moment, the moment his prey realized that he was a predator, a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"B-But, y-you said-?" The girl's struggling question made Klaus bark out a condescending laugh.

"I said no harm would come to you at the hand of others, not by my own." Klaus had enough of toying with her, watching with disgust as tears dripped down her young face.

Snarling, he tore into her throat, moaning as the warm blood filled his mouth.

It went unmentioned that a small part of him cried out at him, trying to desperately stay afloat under all the blood. It went unmentioned that the slaughter momentarily took away his pain of losing _her_, instead replacing it with a new kind.

It went unmentioned that Klaus no longer knew who he was.

* * *

_Brugge, Belgium 1839_

"What has happened to you, Nik?" Klaus sighed heavily as Rebekah looked at him in bewildered worry, examining his blood-soaked appearance. It had been so long since his younger sister had witnessed a slaughtering of this extent by her brother.

"Why nothing, little sister, I simply had a feast." He replied, his usual smirk on his face. Rebekah's face saddened slightly, watching her shell of a brother with a heavy heart. She was not against killing, as a vampire it would be impossible to be affected by every single death.

But this… This was just cruel and Rebekah, much to the surprise of those who did not really know her, was not a cruel person. Oh, she appeared to be, but even her image had its limits. Limits that Klaus knew well enough.

"Is this… Is that about..?" She trailed off, looking at him with her inquisitive blue eyes.

"No." He immediately replied, not wanting _her_ mentioned. Not now when the pain had finally given him a rest.

"Of course." It was silent for a moment until Rebekah finally rose from her perch on his desk where she had been awaiting his return. Before she made it to the door, she took the opportunity to look at the room around of her. She soon noticed the lack of parchment and sketch materials. Her brother was usually constantly at work with his drawings and right now, she could only see one; one that had been torn in half.

She saddened even more. Carefully making sure not to let it show, Rebekah turned back to Klaus for moment.

"Nik?" She called. He didn't glance at her but she knew he was listening. "Do not lose yourself."

As Bekah walked out of the door, Klaus had only one thought.

_Too bloody late._

* * *

_Vienna, Austria 1811_

"I will be able to do this for you, my Lord." Annemarie said, her arms tight around her precious grimoire. She has been one of the more useful witches in Klaus' service over the past years, knowing more about black magic than any other he had met thus far. She was middle-aged and on the plumper side, with a weathered face. She clearly depicted the image of a kindly aunt, only she was nothing of the sort.

It was all in her eyes; they were cruel and cold.

"The spell will keep her location known to me?" Klaus asked, trying to confirm his suspicions.

"Indeed, my Lord." She replied without hesitation, a smirk eerily like his own on her face.

Immediately, Klaus knew he had been betrayed. It was not the first time such a thing had occurred, after all. Annemarie had been one of his primary witches for years and every single time he had asked for this particular spell, she had told him it would be impossible. There was simply no way to redo the binding spell to Caroline from all those years ago, that tie was broken, and now that she had become a vampire, it would never be fixed.

Klaus knew that. He had known that for centuries. He had known that fact since the day his first Forbes servant was bound to him.

Annemarie knew that. Only, she didn't know that he did.

There was a traitor in his midst, for the umpteenth time in only a century. His enemies were beginning to close in. But their measly stakes could not kill him. He would not allow himself to be killed.

"You're lying." He stated, speaking as if he were simply mentioning the weather. Annemarie's eyes stayed stone cold, just as they always did. Klaus hoped that Caroline's eyes would never turn like that, no matter what she saw in her life.

"Am I, m'lord?" She questioned, almost condescendingly, one eyebrow raised.

"You are." He nodded. "But, don't worry, it won't be long until you won't be able to speak, let alone tell lies." Annemarie finally showed some emotion, her eyes narrowing down to angry slits. She soon raised her hands and Klaus could feel the magic emanating about her, ready to throw at him.

Good thing he had more than one witch.

Just as Klaus felt the wave of power, another power blocked it from him and his most loyal warlock, Rickard, walked into the room with both hands raised. _Loyalty, _Klaus thought, _a useful and dangerous tool._

"You!" Annemarie hissed as she continued to pour her magic into her spell. Rickard had been one of Annemarie's prodigies, but his true allegiance had always been to his lord.

"What shall I do with her, m'Lord Niklaus?" The warlock asked, his tone serious as the magic began draining at him.

"Kill her and be done with it." Klaus said, already turning to the door. As much as Annemarie had power over black magic, Rickard had much more control; he would be able to take down his old teacher, of this, Klaus was sure.

"One day you will die, m'lord! It might not be who does it but it will happen! And the little blonde vampire that you are secretive about, she'll die too!" Annemarie cackled. The Original stopped in his tracks, tense, enraged. He slowly turned around, practically growling.

"How do you know of this?" He asked, only to receive a maniacal laugh in return. "How do you know? Answer me!" He bellowed. The old witch did not answer and instead kept cackling.

It was only her death that stopped her laughing.

* * *

_Lisbon, Portugal 1931_

Klaus growled as he slammed the man into the stone wall, not flinching as some of it crumbled against the force of the blow. His anger was fierce, so fierce that for the first time in centuries his fangs had extended without his permission. The vampire had had centuries to learn control over his more base features, it was a simple matter of pride.

But, he supposed he was still a vampire, an Original at that, and such creatures were not especially for their control of their... urges. Sometimes he just had to let the monster, the _ripper_, out.

And the monster was hungry.

"What do you mean you do not know where she is?" He growled, his hand tightening around the other vampire's throat and raising him a few feet off the ground. "My ears must be deceiving, my friend, for I specifically remember commanding you to keep track of her. You would not want me to think you failed in my request, now would you?"

"F-Forgive me, sir." His servant choked out, trying to get around the crushing force on his windpipe. It was in times such as this that Klaus wished Forbes servants were still available to he and his siblings. Of course, this could due to the fact that there was one Forbes who he misses in particular... "S-She disappeared!" The man managed to finally choke out.

Klaus growled deep in his throat, the sound almost a roar, before he let the man fall to the floor with a loud, painful sounding, thump. The younger vampire soon rose to his feet, straightening his clothes. Suddenly, Klaus rounded back on him, still livid.

"You are telling me she simply vanished... You are telling me you _lost_ her?" He shouted at the top of his lungs, his eyes pulsating with blood. "_How _did you lose her?"

"Miss Forbes is... fickle, sir." The man muttered, head hanging, lamenting at his bad luck. If only he hadn't lost that damnable wager, then one of the others would have had to inform Lord Klaus.

"Fickle..." Klaus repeated, monotone. His fingers slowly clenching into fists as his jaw shut tight. The anger in his eyes intensified for a brief moment before suddenly dissipating. "Yes, Miss Forbes can indeed be quite fickle." He smirked, menace beginning to settle in his expression. "I suppose you may go."

The other vampire let out s brief sigh of relief and immediately began to the door, his steps quick.

_Five, _Klaus thought, _four, three... two..._

_One._

His smirk widened, fangs clearly visible. And then he was across the room, and the man's head rolled across the floor, blood seeping through the carpet, blending in with the maroon color of it.

Unfazed, Klaus, continued his trek and headed to the door. Some things he simply had to do himself.

Inside, the monster laughed, triumphant.

* * *

_Lisbon, Portugal 1936_

Five years. Five years and still no sign. She really had indeed vanished. It was during this time that Klaus found himself sinking, falling farther and farther away from the man he had had the potential to be.

The darkness, the bloodlust, was taking over even more and Klaus couldn't bring himself to care.

The monster was here to stay.

Klaus simply smirked.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, 2010_

"Ah, well how about that, it looks like Vampire Barbie just couldn't stay away." Damon smirked. Caroline only raised a brow in question, before sighing and rolling her eyes.

"You're just happy to see me." She stated in return, crossing her arms.

"Maybe just a little." Damon stood to the side, signaling that she should enter. Caroline walked in, looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings. The last time she had been back to Mystic Falls was when the old Salvatore Manor was still the main house for the family. The boarding house was a new thing to her.

It was _huge_. It reminded her of the house she had lived in when she was with Pearl and Anna in Paris in the 16th Century. Only this was more modern, of course. Thank God for the electric light and all that.

"It's been a while." Caroline said coolly when she turned back to Damon, straight-faced. Her relationship with Damon was a weird one, to say the least. Stefan had always assumed she liked Damon, thought of him as a friend; this was true, in a sense. Caroline tended to keep the elder Salvatore at arms length; there was just something about him that made her uneasy, that reminded her of… something, some_one_. Plus, he was a bit loose with his morals, in any sense.

Still, that didn't mean that Caroline didn't care about him. He was one of the few friends she had that would be around forever. She didn't want to let that go to waste.

"It has. When was the last time? New York?" He smirked again, blue eyes mischievous. "You were a bit more _adventurous_ then, if I remember correctly... Now, I assume my little brother sent you here to scold me?" He sighed dramatically. "Typical Stefan, hiding behind your skirts."

"Actually, I was here to _see_ Stefan, I haven't heard from him since yesterday…" She turned an intelligent gaze on him; her eyes conveyed an age that Damon had yet to reach. She cocked her head to the side, already knowing that he had been the one to attack that poor couple. _Animal attacks, my ass. _"But now that you've confirmed what I thought, I guess it's time for a scolding."

Suddenly Caroline's amiable smile dropped from her face and she blurred into the other vampire, slamming him onto the floor. She knelt over him, one knee on his chest and the other holding his arms above his head.

"Well, well who knew Vampire Barbie was so kinky? If you wanted to tie me down, all you had to do was ask." He quipped, trying to get out of her hold. Caroline rolled her eyes before she leaned forward until she was nose-to-nose with him.

"Honestly, Damon, how could you be so reckless? And don't be a bloody idiot, you know you won't be able to overpower me. I'm older, remember?" She glared at him and tightened her hold around his wrists for a second, causing him to grunt. "Look, I'm going to tell you once because you're my _friend_, you can't keep killing around here. You shouldn't kill in general but that doesn't matter right now… The point is, Mystic Falls is like a center for the supernatural, you _have_ to lie low." She hissed.

"Aww, Blondie, I didn't know you cared." Damon mocked, once again smirking. Caroline tried to keep her annoyance down, knowing she probably shouldn't act out; that would ruin her whole old and wise image.

"Whatever." She muttered, getting off of him. "I guess you don't want my help. Just remember Damon, whatever happens, whatever the consequences, they're on you. You may not feel it now, but the old you, and, perhaps one day, the new you, will."

With that, Caroline turned and walked out the door. She had to go look for Stefan. If she knew Damon, and she did, he had probably taken his anger out on his little brother. Honestly, why couldn't they just make up?

* * *

"And now he has some cheerleader for a bloodbag!" Stefan yelled, frustrated. They were sitting in Caroline's living room the day after the comet had passed over Mystic Falls. Apparently Damon had decided _not _to listen to Caroline and had caused a lot of trouble.

"How about Vicky? Is she ok?" She asked, staring at her friend as he paced around.

"Yeah, I managed to get Damon to compel her to forget." He sighed, and collapsed next to her in the sofa.

"I'm sorry, Stef, I should've been there."

"It's okay, _bella._ You wouldn't have been able to stop him, short of killing him. And I know you couldn't do that. I don't think even I could." He muttered. Caroline placed a hand on one of his strong shoulders, trying to provide some sort of comfort.

"Of course not, he's your brother." He sent her a small grateful smile. "Now, what's this about a cheerleader? I'm cheer captain, I think I should know."

"Lisa, you know her right?" He asked.

"Yeah. She's a bitch to be perfectly honest, she's always competing with Elena; she didn't even let up after Elena's parents…" She hesitated. "Anyways, just because she isn't the nicest person, doesn't mean she deserves this." Caroline sighed, playing with the daylight ring on her finger.

"What are we going to do?" Stefan wondered out loud.

"There's not much we can do. I told him not to kill anymore and he hasn't. Lisa, well, we'll just have to keep an eye on her." She stated, knowing that that was probably not enough. Still, what choice did they have?

"I'm just worried…."

"About Elena." Stefan looked up at her sheepishly. "Don't be. She has me _and _she had you. We'll keep her safe. Just like I know you kept her safe when the car crashed." She glanced nonchalantly at her fingernails, smiling a little when she caught the younger Salvatore's dumbstruck expression from the corner of her eye.

"W-What?"

"Please, Stef. She couldn't have survived it without a little external help and I have the town under watch. I knew the minute you got here."

"Why didn't you tell me, Care? I could've used your help. I was so confused, I mean Elena looks just like Katherine…" He gazed at her in confusion.

"But she isn't Katherine, is she? And you needed to figure it out for yourself. You needed time, Stefan. Sometimes help doesn't come obviously, you know." Caroline said, seriously. The seriousness of her demeanor was rather at odds with her usually bubbly personality. Of course, the people who saw her solely as that didn't know she was a vampire.

For a moment both vampires simply stared at each other before Stefan cracked a rare smile and let out a low chuckle.

"Sometimes I forget you're an old lady, _bella_."

"Hey!"

* * *

_The bracelet glittered around her wrist, the infinity links shining._

_He took her by the hand, the jazz music surrounding them as they swayed this way and that. He watched her with an intensity she felt she knew, even though logic dictated she didn't. Her hair had pinned up expertly into curls, but Caroline could feel them starting to muss up with the energy of their dance and she was pretty sure she didn't care._

_Blue eyes stared into hers and she felt herself getting lost in them._

_And then she fell into the blue and she was in a new place and her mystery dancer had disappeared. _

_She wandered around this new place. It was house, a small, comfy cottage. There were signs of people, of a family that lived here. And then she found the two little children. A boy with curly brown hair, and a girl with blonde hair that was just as curly. They were smiling and playing._

_And then their images were drowned blood._

_Her world shifted around her once more and Caroline dreamt of a boy. She dreamt of a sweet, gentle boy with a temper who cared for his younger sisters. She had dreamt of him for many years._

_He called himself Robb._

_And then he, too, melted away._

Caroline awoke to find she had tears running from her eyes.

* * *

It was a few weeks later that Caroline stood in front of an iron door, looking through the bars. _Oh Damon…_ Stefan and her had had to change their decision to leave him be after he had gone too far and killed Mr. Tanner (not that anyone would miss him). She knew she could have killed him, she had many centuries on him, after all, but she couldn't bring herself to, nor could his brother bring himself to ask it of her. So, instead, they had vervained him, using Lisa.

It was crude but it had worked.

And now she stared at her friend, her desiccating friend as he rotted in his basement.

"I'm sorry this had to happen Damon." She said. Suddenly, the vampire behind bars turned and glared at her, his eyes enraged.

"No, you're not."

Caroline said nothing, but stood with him silently for a while longer.

* * *

"Damon's escaped." The voice on the phone sounded desperate. "He killed Zach." Caroline's hand went to her mouth, horrified. She had seen a lot of blood through the centuries but losing a loved one always hurt. Not to mention, Damon had effectively ended the Salvatore bloodline, leaving him and his brother the last ones of their family to walk this earth. "I think it was Lisa who freed him, I found a shoe on the staircase… He wants his ring back; I have to give it to him." Stefan continued.

"Wait, Stef, we have to come up with a-" The hang-up tone rang in her ear. "Damn it!" She shoved her cell into her jean pocket and threw her jacket on, heading straight to the door.

She passed by her car, knowing that it would not get her to her destination anywhere near fast enough.

She took a deep breath to calm herself; she needed to stay rational. She was the eldest vampire in town right now, and she needed to be that person. The strong one, the logical one. Caroline was never particularly good at any of this stuff, she had always been more on the emotional side. But she found that, with time, she could listen and help others as well. That's what she had to do now.

Then she sent all of her strength into her legs and burst off, her speed unbelievable.

Sometimes being a relatively old vampire had its perks.

* * *

Caroline soon approached the Salvatore boarding house, desperately hoping that Stefan had yet to leave. As the house came into sight, Caroline immediately knew something was wrong. What was Elena doing there at this time of night? Her sensitive ears picked up the conversation.

"What are you?" Elena asked, her voice panicked_._ "_What_ are you?"

_Oh no. _Caroline froze. This _can't _be happening. This should _not _be happening. Elena was supposed to remain in happy obliviousness. She wasn't supposed to find out. _She is going to hate me,_ a small voice in Caroline's mind whispered.

"You know." Stefan replied after a long moment of silence. Caroline shook herself out of her frozen state. What was she supposed to do? Glancing around, she realized she was in the middle of the street where everyone could see her. She'd better move.

"No, I don't." Elena's answer was shaky.

"Yes you do or you wouldn't be here." Came the younger Salvatore's voice. Caroline then made her decision, quickly blurring to the other side of the house and leaping onto the wall, easily gripping the second-story window ledge.

"It's not possible. It can't be." Her human friend whispered. The blonde vampire flipped herself up and onto the roof, landing silently. She knew that if she appeared in front of Elena now, all vamp-speed, it would only make things much worse.

"Everything you know and every belief that you have is about to change. Are you ready for that?" Stefan's question was earnest, that same desperate tone from earlier entering is voice. Caroline crouched on the roof and moved silently to the edge, watching from above.

"_What_ are you?" _Oh God, Elena, why did this have to happen? Why did this have to happen now of all times?_

"I'm a vampire." The statement hung in the air between the pair below as the brunette's eyes widened almost comically.

"I shouldn't have come." She said, the shock clearly there. The _fear._ Stefan stepped forward causing her to go back.

"Please, please." Caroline barely heard Stefan's whispered pleas as he continued to approach his girlfriend.

"No, no… no!" Elena ran and Caroline felt her heart sink, no, _break_ for her friends. As the human girl fled, Stefan immediately blurred after her, appearing in front of her. _No, Stefan, don't do that!_

"How did you do that?" She asked, panicked.

"Please don't be afraid of me." Caroline closed her eyes, saddened by the frantic begging.

"Let me go."

"Elena, there is things you have to know and understand-"

"Let me go!"

"Elena, please-!" With that Elena broke from Stefan's hold, or, rather, _he_ let _her_ go, just as she commanded. The girl ran to her car and drove off, speeding all the way, leaving a heartbroken vampire behind her. For a moment, Stefan just stood there whilst Caroline continued to observe, shocked at this turn of events.

And then she noticed the look of determination in his eyes and Caroline knew she should step in. She leapt off the roof and landed safely next to Stefan, catching his arm as he went to run after the girl he loved. It seemed she triggered some survival instinct since her friend whipped his head around, fangs out and hissing.

"Stefan, it's me. It's okay." She explained, keeping a firm hold on his upper arm.

"Caroline?" The fangs faded. "Caroline. I have to go after Elena. She found out. She found out what I am. I can't, I can't let her hate me. I have to-" There were tears in his eyes as the realization of what occurred and what it meant set in. Caroline immediately let go of his arm and instead pulled him into a gentle embrace, burying her head into his neck, trying to keep him calm. It took a moment but soon his arms wrapped around her.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay. We'll figure this out, okay?" She kissed his cheek lightly, letting her friend know that he was not alone. "We just have to give ourselves a moment, take a breath, and figure out what to do. We can go find Elena tomorrow, first we have to take care of Damon." Suddenly Stefan pulled back from her embrace, looking down at her in confusion.

"No… No, I need to…" The determined light from before reentered his eyes. "I need to make her not be afraid of me." Abruptly, he turned around and poured on the vampire speed, narrowly missing Caroline's arm as she moved to stop him.

"Stefan!" She yelled, only to find him suddenly gone. He must have gone after Elena. "Damn it!" It really wasn't the right time, he needed to give Elena a moment. Frustrated, she sighed loudly.

Well, at least he had been stopped from going after Damon alone.

* * *

The next couple of days were long and hard ones. Damon killed Vicky, who is now in transition. Stefan explained to Elena what he and his brother were. Damon got his ring back and Elena ended her relationship. Stefan was attacked, shot by wooden bullets, and his attacker, Logan Fell, was killed in retaliation.

Everything was falling into pieces and Caroilne felt like she was vaulted back and out of the way. She hadn't been able to help the people most important to her and it just _killed_ her.

So, she decided to try and help with one thing. Stefan and Elena. She would have to reveal herself to her human friend. But, before she did that, she needed some backup.

Picking up her phone, she dialed a familiar number.

"Hello?" The voice was groggy on the other end.

"Hey, Lexi? It's Caroline. I need your help."

**Ok guys, that's it for today! We are now just around 1x06 – 1x07. Next chapter will speed through the rest of the season and then after that we'll have a speedy season two and KLAUS!**

**Before I sign off, I just want to answer some stuff I was asked in the reviews about the whole Caroline knows Katherine thing and why Katherine didn't reveal anything to Caroline about her past; it's simple really, this is **_**Katherine **_**we are talking about. Let's just say she had a few plans up her sleeve before her 'demise'. I'll leave it at that for now.**

**Also, when it comes to accents, assume that Caroline has adopted an American accent to blend in better, but there will be parts in her natural accent (in flashbacks that are not set in America, otherwise I'll specify when).**

**Lisa is an OC I am using as kind of a pseudo-Caroline to do her human arc because, as I have previously stated, I don't want to stray too far from the canon. So think of her as human Caroline but meaner.**

**Anyways, thank you for reading and let me know what you think. Next chapter should be up earliest this weekend.**

**RW**


	6. Farewell Felicity

**Thank you to KandyFloss, batgirl2992, yolotiffanie, **_**Guest, **_**Carasedrin, thegurlwhowrites7865, TopazDragon, The Plant Reader, Tardis356, shadowfaxangel, l0lzxp, LadyKlaus, Paradisa, EternalLoveDreamer, lily94, lisolotte, PsychVamp, Sci-fi Christian, I Love All TVD Books TVD Klaroline, Clara, justine, chillwithJyl, arabella, Bullet2tm, OKBooey31, InuGnome17, BlueJean542, Lovely Rain Dancer, LorenaLaufey, ILoveYou1978, tiredstudent09, MarsterRoo, CeceVolume, Princess Aziza and epic sweetness712 for reviewing!**

**I have to apologize (I AM SO SORRY) for the late update; school seems to be taking over my life. I also just want to inform you that this will be the last update until after the 19****th**** December because of exams. I hope you all don't mind!**

**Anyways, thanks for sticking with me and I hope you enjoy this newest installment! Fair warning, this is **_**very **_**Caroline-centric as we will be speeding through the rest of season one.**

**OH, and, for the sake of continuity, let's just pretend that the whole Miss Mystic thing happened BEFORE Anna and John Gilbert, okay? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries**

Chapter Five

Farewell Felicity

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

A few months had passed what Caroline liked to call the 'big reveal'. All that she had worked at for a year to hide had suddenly gone all to bits as Caroline had spoken out. But she had done for the sake of her friends, and, luckily, she had had some foresight to call in some help. No one got humans to understand like Lexi did, it was just the way she is, her talent.

Just the way she _was, _that is…

* * *

_"So, what do you say, Lex?" Caroline held the phone to her ear as she awaited her answer._

"_I'm due for another birthday visit to Stefan anyways… I'll see you soon." Her friend's voice came through the phone and the older vampire's shoulders slumped slightly in relief._

"_Great. 'Till then." Caroline quickly pressed the end call button and gathered her things, ready to head over to the Salvatore house. Stefan was feeling quite down as of late, for obvious reasons, and she was trying to make of this as painless as possible for him._

_Luckily, if everything would go according to plan, it would only be a few more weeks of this. _

_She just needed to wait a little bit longer._

* * *

Caroline headed to the front door of her house, tired from the long day she had had. However, she was soon able to sense another presence and immediately she went on high alert. Covertly, she glanced around, cautious until she spotted Stefan, head in hands.

He was sitting on the porch, waiting.

* * *

_As Caroline opened the door to her house, she immediately knew something was out of place. She dropped her school bag on the floor and warily made her way down the front hall. Soon enough, the out of place 'thing' made her presence known._

_A fast blur headed towards her but Caroline was no spring chicken in the vampire world. She was quick to jump to the side and grabbed the blur in a headlock, fangs bared._

_And that was when the 'blur' started laughing; it was a very familiar laugh and Caroline soon joined in with a laugh of her own. _

"_God, Lex, why must you always do that!" She exclaimed, letting go of her old friend. Said friend spun around, wearing a smirk._

"_What can I say? There's not many people who can catch me mid-run nowadays." Lexi squeezed Caroline in a brief hug before she stepped back and her smile turned into something more serious. "So, when are we going to do this?"_

"_Well, technically you came for Stef's birthday, which is tomorrow, so, I'm thinking, what better birthday than for him to have both of his best friends there to celebrate with him? And, I think getting him and his girlfriend back together would be a pretty unforgettable birthday present." The older vampire smiled widely._

"_I don't know Caroline, remember 1953? That was a pretty wild year." _

"_Please, that will not compare to this year."_

Caroline had been right, it hadn't compared. It just hadn't.

"_Ok, so girl's night, then?" Lexi asked, already making herself comfortable in Caroline's living room._

"_Of course! And I have just the perfect thing." She said, pulling out the champagne from where she stood in the kitchen. She blurred back to the living room and fell into the couch next to the other blonde._

"_So, how are you going to tell her?" The question hung in the air for a moment._

"_I don't know. But, I think it's best I do it alone. You can just… pick up the pieces. It's what you do best, after all." She smiled at her friend hopefully._

"_Fine, fine." Lexi grumbled. "Let me guess, I'll be on Stefan patrol, and then when you tell Elena and she is completely devastated, I'll convince that having a vampire as a boyfriend…" she glanced at Caroline "… or best friend is not a bad thing." She rolled her eyes._

"_What would we do without you, Lex?" Caroline replied with a laugh._

* * *

Stefan lifted his head from his hands as he seemingly heard her footsteps. His striking green eyes were filled with tears as he stared at her helplessly. She tried to smile at him reassuringly but for some reason her lips simply wouldn't lift into such a happy expression. Instead she decided to just return his devastated stare.

* * *

"_Did you know it's Stefan's birthday, today?" Elena asked Caroline, both of who were seated on the Gilbert girl's bed. Just moments before, Caroline had come by on an 'unplanned' visit. _

_She had yet to spill the beans about it all, though. And the thought of saying everything, talking about with what she was to someone who didn't already know… and knowing that their opinion mattered to her… she wasn't sure what to think. For the first time in a long while, Caroline was actually very nervous. _

_God! She hated this feeling! She was a vampire, she shouldn't feel so attached to her human feelings... But, still, she was. It made her who she was, much as she sometimes wished it didn't. A human stuck in an immortal body._

_Perhaps that is why she was such a controlled vampire. _

_"Yeah, of course." Caroline replied, trying to crush her inner turmoil. Caroline met Elena's eyes, steeling herself for what was to come. Stefan better be grateful… "I always knew…" She whispered, no longer talking about birthdays. Following her instincts, she grabbed her friend's hands and tried her best to get her point across. "I know." Is all she said._

_Caroline could see it, the realization as it came forth in Elena's brown eyes. She could see the confusion. The horror._

_But her she didn't let go of the vampire's hands._

"_You mean-? You know he's-?"_

"_Yeah." The word came out whispered._

"_But, how?" Elena asked, brow furrowed._

"_Because…" She took a deep breath. "I am one too."_

_Elena's hands shot out of her own. Caroline let them go. There, she said it. She admitted it. Now, she just needed to make Elena see it her way… see that vampires could be people, good people, too._

"_What do you mean?" Elena's voice had a desperate edge._

"_I'm a vampire, Elena. Like Stefan." The words almost brought a sense of relief to said vampire; she no longer had to hide who she was._

"_You're kidding, you have got to be kidding." The brunette shot up from her perch on the bed. "How is this-? How is this possible? How could I not have known?" She gazed to Caroline in confusion. "And how did Bonnie not know? Or any of us?"_

"_I have had a long time to learn how to hide in plain sight. You didn't know because you couldn't have. You didn't let yourself even believe in the possibility." Caroline stated._

"_And Bonnie?" Elena asked again._

"_Bonnie may be a Bennet, but she is still a new witch and I know some tricks. Concealing spells and things like that." She explained, not going into to much detail. The trouble she had had to go through to acquire those spells was best left unsaid._

"_Do you… Do you drink people blood?"_

"_I mostly drink from animals, like Stefan, but I do have the occasional bloodbag. Animal blood allows us to survive but, to be strong, you need the real stuff." Caroline gazed at her friend as she paced around, processing, trying to solve an impossible mystery._

"_I just don't understand…"_

"_I am really sorry, Elena. About all of this. I should have trusted you with this sooner. I shouldn't have told you now, when it's only another burden to know… It's just… I wanted to escape for a while. I wanted to have a human life, or, as close to as I could get." Caroline sighed, shifting her eyes to her lap with a world-weary gaze._

_At that moment, at the opposite end of the room, Elena realized just how _old _Caroline must be, how much she must have seen, and how lonely it seemed to have been._

"_I'll go now, okay? Just, please, give us a chance. Try not to hate us right away. We are not all so bad. I mean yeah, we have the tendency to sleep through the day and bite people's necks but, some of us are able to control it…" The blond trailed off, knowing now was not the time to ramble. "Well, see ya." She headed for the door._

"_Wait!" A call came; Caroline turned. "I don't hate you, I couldn't. You've been the best friend I could ask for, for as long as I have known you… I just, I need some time to _think_ about this…" Elena ran her fingers through her brown locks, nervous._

"_It's okay." Caroline smiled once at the human girl, relieved that she was being open minded; it was more than she had asked for and she was extremely grateful for it. _

_With one last thankful smile, she walked out of the door._

* * *

Caroline joined Stefan on the porch, sitting next to him. She took Stefan's hand in her own, knowing that he needed a friend, that _she_ needed a friend. She felt the tears return to her own eyes and she watched his own slowly fall, leaving a trail down his cheek. He looked away from her, not wanting to cry in front of her, and, Caroline knew, trying to be strong for her sake. That's when she could no longer hold it in, a desperate sob escaped her and she squeezed his hand tighter.

* * *

_Lexi and Elena hit it off right away, just as Caroline had expected. One could assume no less when it came to Lexi. Caroline watched from afar as they engaged in a conversation about love and whatnot. Everything was going to plan. Elena was opening up to the idea of vampires. Just as Caroline had thought, the fact that Elena now knew more 'good' vampires was beginning to help her cope with it._

_Suddenly, she felt a presence beside her as Stefan leaned on the bar, raising an eyebrow at her._

"_Let me guess, this was the plan that you have been hiding from me all this time?" He asked._

"_How did you know I was hiding something from you?" Caroline replied, shocked._

"_Please, _bella_, you and I both know you have never been good at hiding things from me; especially when you're excited about it."_

"_Well, was my excitement worth it?" _

"_Definitely. I couldn't have asked for anything better." Stefan smiled a rare, genuine smile at her. "Thank you."_

"_Well, it wasn't _just _me." She gestured to Lexi. "And our plan hasn't been completed. Yet."_

"_Thank you, anyways." Stefan repeated, rolling his eyes slightly, before giving her a quick squeeze; his version of a hug._

"_You're welcome." She replied, hugging him back._

* * *

Caroline soon found herself leaning into Stefan, her head on his shoulder and his arm wrapped securely around her. As she felt his own sobs tremor silently through his chest, she turned and encircled her arms his waist, trying to provide what little comfort she could. His hand rubbed her back gently, knowing that he was not the only who needed comfort.

* * *

_Caroline exited the Mystic Grill with Matt, making sure he and a very drunk Lisa had a clear way out. After she had helped her friend put the girl in the car, she headed off when she heard the sound of conversation between two very familiar voices._

_She rounded the corner only to see a very unexpected pair in the midst of what looked to be an unpleasant conversation. Well, it was understandable; after all, if there was one person in the entire world that Lexi disapproved more than anyone, it was Damon Salvatore._

_She was about to break up the argument when, a police officer, the sheriff, she believed entered the scene._

_What happened next happened went by so fast that, for a moment, Caroline believed she had simply dreamed it all._

_Damon staked Lexi._

_Lexi, her oldest friend, her sister, fell limp to the floor._

_Dead._

* * *

Caroline was unsure how long they sat there. But, she did know that she had deserved more. Lexi had been their longest mutual friend. Caroline and Stefan lost a best friend, a _family member._

She had deserved more.

Finally Caroline unwrapped herself from Stefan, and she stood, gesturing for them to go inside. Once they both entered her house, Caroline glanced back out into the night once more, and shut the door.

_I am so sorry Lexi. I am so sorry that I didn't do more for you._

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry._

* * *

It was only a few days later that Stefan was carrying out his plan to destroy his brother. He asked her to help him. She considered it. She almost agreed to it, her hate for her friend's murderer burning strong.

But, ultimately, she declined.

She declined because she knew that Damon's death would break Stefan, for good. Sure, Stefan may hate his brother _now, _but, just as always, he would forgive him. Just as Damon would always, silently, forgive Stefan.

It was the way they were; two brothers that both loved and hated each other. Caroline could simply not separate them one last time.

And, despite the fact that she hated Damon right now, Caroline knew that this would not last either.

But, she couldn't sit by like this anymore. She couldn't watch Damon being all… being all _alive_, somewhat, when Lexi was rotting somewhere in an unmarked grave. She just couldn't be around him, not yet.

Now it was _her _that needed time.

So, that very night, Caroline packed her bags and left, not telling anyone when, or even if she would return.

* * *

When Caroline _did_ return, a couple months later, it was because Stefan had called her to tell her about the death of the only mother she remembered, the death of Pearl. Caroline hadn't even known she was out of the tomb. She hadn't even known Anna had been there. But Stefan, his voice saddened, had explained. He'd explained how she died, and how Anna was now alone. So, Caroline hadn't had another thought about it; she had packed her bags, and she had returned. She would be there for Anna, just as her and her mother had been there for her.

So, she went back to Mystic Falls and her friends were there waiting for her. Elena, Stefan, Matt, Bonnie, even Damon. They had excepted her back with open arms (well, a smirk in Damon's case). She'd smiled and laughed with them, but no one brought up her time away from their home, _her _home.

And then she went to find Anna, only to see her in the company of none other than Jeremy Gilbert. Her and Anna had a long awaited reunion, but it was tinted by the loss that now stood between them, the years they had spent apart. Caroline had soon realized that there was not much she could do for her once-sister. She gave Anna a long hug and told her that should she ever need her, she would gladly be there. And then Caroline, knowing Anna was not alone, not when she had Jeremy.

Later, Caroline had put on her brave face, made her appearance as Miss Mystic Falls, standing tall on the float, without an escort. Contrary to popular belief, wearing clothes from the time did not mean they were actually in 1864; having an escort _was _not a requirement, at least in her book.

Besides, boys were messy, and that is the last thing she needed at the moment.

After the parade, Caroline decided to go home and unpack. She'd made her return to Mystic Falls and was planning to stay. Apparently too many things had gone to crap without her. At least that was what Stefan had told her, Damon muttering in the background. From Isobel 'dropping by' to Lisa and Matt getting together, things had definitely gotten messy. Before, she went home, though, she had promised her friends she would be back later.

Only, when she got there, she found out that Pearl's murderer had kidnapped Anna and the Salvatore brothers. She had only gotten there in time to help Elena and Bonnie get Stefan and Damon out of the flaming building.

Anna was already gone.

Caroline tried to keep it together. She tried so hard. The others didn't understand. They hadn't known Anna for she used to be. They hadn't known her as the little sister Caroline used to think of her as. They hadn't known her as the one who helped a vampire find her way. Pearl and Anna. They had been a family to her when she had no one else. They may have spent more than a century apart after Pearl was locked in the tomb, but Caroline never forgot what they had done for her.

And, now, to lose them both?

She was devastated.

And what hurt all the more was that she could garner no comfort from her friends, because they only knew Anna as the girl who kidnapped Elena. They only knew Pearl as the vampire who couldn't control the others who had escaped from the tomb. They didn't know them as the mother and daughter who had both loved and lost but had still gone on through the centuries with kindness.

Yes, Jeremy had felt the blow of their loss, Anna's in particular, but, even he could not understand, at least not fully. Still, it hadn't stopped Caroline from giving him a crushing hug and reminding him he was not alone in his grief. The desperate look on his face was still burned into her mind.

If only she had returned sooner! Then she would've been able to save them! All of them! _But, could you? Could you really have saved them? Anna was no weakling, she was older then you and even she had not survived. Stefan and Damon barely made it through._

Sighing, Caroline wiped away a stray tear that made it out of the corner of her eye.

No one understood, not really. Caroline was alone in this.

So, she decided to put on her brave face. She had lived many centuries, there was no reason to let her emotions continue to control as they had ever since Lexi passed. She needed to be strong. Something like this could not happen again.

It was up to her.

* * *

Later that night, Caroline was sitting in her living room, unable to sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she would Anna's face, or Pearl's. Sometimes she would even see Lexi's. So when Elena called her asking to meet at the football fields, sounding desperate, scared, and confused, Caroline told her she'd be there in five minutes.

Caroline blurred across town, knowing that it was safe to do so at this time of night. When she reached the fields, she found them suspiciously empty. _Odd…_ She slowed from her run, looking around.

_Something's wrong. Elena's doesn't prank call._

Seeing as things really hadn't been going things the way she wanted them to, Caroline allowed her fangs to lengthen, at the ready and circled around cautiously. _Can't hurt to be safe, right?_

It was only a few moments later that she heard a distinct _crack _from behind her.

She twirled around, hissing, ready to jump at her foe.

Scared brown eyes met hers.

"Elena!" Her fangs immediately retracted. "Oh my God, I am so sorry!" Caroline exclaimed; even though they had long made up, things were still a bit… _awkward_.

"Don't worry, it's just me!" Elena replied, curled hair hanging loosely around shoulders. There was a few seconds of silence as the two looked at each other. There was something _off_ about the whole situation, Caroline thought. This was just so unlike Elena…

"Where _were _you before?" She asked, suddenly distrustful. "There was no one here."

"I was hiding behind the bleachers, waiting for you." The way Elena said 'waiting for you' made a cold shiver run up Caroline's spine.

And that's when the horrid realization hit her. There had only ever been truly _one _vampire who had ever really creeped her out.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virigina 1864_

Caroline was sick of Katherine's treatment of the Salvatore brothers and she had had enough. They were good men, _innocent _men, they did not deserve any of it. Katherine may be older than her, but Caroline was, simply put, _fuming. _

"You _will _put a stop to this, Katherine." Caroline cried angrily, holding onto the very thin line of self control she had left, her eyes already flashing scarily. "Or I swear, I will not hesitate to-"

"You will not hesitate to _what_, dear?" Suddenly Katherine whirled around from where she had been staring at herself in the mirror. Suddenly, she was right in front of Caroline, gripping her chin painfully tight. "You have no hold over me, you little harlot." She hissed. "You had always thought you did because of _him_…"

Katherine eyes drifted away from Caroline's own, confused ones. _What is she one about? _And then her cruel brown eyes snapped back to hers and her hand tightened impossibly more. Try as she might, Caroline could not get loose from the older vampire's grip.

"What _will _you do, Caroline? Tell the council? And to whom do you think they will listen? You? You are nothing more than a stranger here, visiting friends. I, on the other hand, live in the house of one of the patriarch of a founding family _and _both of his sons would willing _die _for me." Katherine smirked dangerously.

"Willing? Forgive me, I did not know that there was a new word for _compulsion._" Caroline returned, still struggling.

"Why must you _always _get in the way?" The other vampire practically growled as she hit Caroline back into the wall, her head hitting the wood so that it splintered upon impact.

"What is it you have against me? I have done _nothing_ to you!" The blond defended.

"Nothing. You must mean nothing you can _remember._" At Caroline's wide eyes, Katherine let out a bark of laughter. "I know more then you might think. Why did you think I had been tormenting you all these years? Yes, it has been rather enjoyable, but did you truly believe I would spend so much of my time on a _nobody_? Even _you _cannot be that naïve…." Katherine leaned closer, her lips at the other vampire's ears. "I simply enjoyed the fact that I could get my retribution _slowly_, watch you suffer at my hands, and that, during all of this, you would have _no _idea why… It was the perfect formula to drive anyone to the nuthouse…" The brunette lowered her voice to a whisper. "But, let me tell you a little something, Caroline; I know _everything…."_

Suddenly, Caroline found her strength back and slapped Katherine away. Hard. The brunette flew in the other direction, and when she stood back up she looked positively furious.

"Tell me." Caroline's whisper was dangerous, dark. She had never felt so much _hate _for a single person in her entire existence. All this time she had kept her past from her… "Tell me!"

But, instead, Katherine threw back her head and laughed. And then she blurred away too fast for Caroline to pursue.

It was that night that she was captured by the founder's council and entombed under the church, along with most of the rest of the vampire population of Mystic Falls.

Caroline never saw her again and her answers were lost.

For good.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

"Katherine." Caroline hissed, eyes darkening fast.

"_Bingo!" _Then a perfectly manicured hand appeared around the blonde's throat as Katherine took her hold once more. "Now… where were we?"

* * *

_London, England 2010_

Klaus' hand was sure and steady as the brush moved seemingly by itself across the canvas. The world moved around, but here he was, in a bubble, still. Just as he always would be. This was _his_ forever.

His fated silence was interrupted by the sudden opening of a door as one of his vampires burst into the room, winded.

Klaus sighed heavily but did not turn, eyes still focused on his painting.

"This had better be good." He stated, matter-of-factly.

"I apologize, sir." The other vampire said, trying not to let his fear of Klaus show. "There have been rumors, sir. Rumors that I thought you might be interested to know." The vampire said nothing more, knowing that speaking out-of-turn was never a good idea around the Original.

"And this rumor is?" Klaus prompted, still not turning as he brought the paintbrush across the canvas once more.

"The doppelgänger, sir." Klaus froze at the words. "There are rumors that there is a doppelgänger, and that she is _human_."

Then Klaus did turn. And, when he did, he did so with a smirk.

"Tell me everything."

**That's it for season one! Before I sign off, I will just say we are VERY CLOSE (hint, hint NEXT CHAPTER) to Klaus' return. Anyone have any suggestions for his and Caroline's meeting? I would be glad to hear some ideas ;) Also, we will learn more about Caroline had been up to when she was gone next chapter.**

**Also thinking of writing a different long-chaptered klaroline fic… Ideas?**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	7. Original Sin

**IMPORTANT NOTICE: The lovely ResignToSurrender has begun to translate TLTLB into Italian :) For anyone who is interested, please go to my profile to get the link ;)**

**Thank you to cakepopshelly, shadowfaxangel, CinderNella, Sci-fi Christian, EternalLoveDreamer, KandyFloss, PsychVamp, TopazDragon, meagainpauline, chillwithJyl, LorenaLaufey, DreamsBeatReality, I Love All Books TVD Klaroline, arabella, **_**Guest, Guest, **_**Crazygirl8243, LadyKlaus, OKBooey31, InuGnome17, BlueJean452, StefanxKlaus14, thegurlwhowrites7865, MarsterRoo, Bullet2tm, MourningMemories7, babyvfan (x5), Kiiimberly, and CeceVolume for reviewing! And, of course, thanks to ResignToSurrender for the translation!**

**Yay you guys! Thank you for the two hundred reviews; that is so awesome! You are the best!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries**

Chapter Six

Original Sin

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

"I was hiding behind the bleachers, waiting for you." The way Elena said 'waiting for you' made a cold shiver run up Caroline's spine.

In that moment, the horrid realization hit her. There had only ever been truly _one _vampire who had ever really creeped her out.

"Katherine." Caroline hissed, eyes darkening fast.

"_Bingo!" _A perfectly manicured hand suddenly appeared around the blonde's throat as Katherine took her hold once more. "Now… where were we?"

"So, Damon was right… you weren't in the tomb. Shouldn't surprise me, I guess." Blue eyes narrowed into a glare. "You always were a selfish, psychotic bitch."

"Now, now, Caroline, there's no need to be cruel, I came here to _warn _you."

"Warn me? You really think I am that much of an idiot? Why would I trust anything you have to say after all you have done is lie to me? You know about my past and you have kept it from me for so long… You only look out for yourself. That's the way it has always been and always will be." The blonde's eyes were full of fire as she spat it all out.

"You misunderstand me. I'm not here to warn you because I give a damn. On the contrary, if I could, I would destroy you now… But, unfortunately for me, I need you alive, so I'm only going to say this once. Stay _out _of my way or I will end everyone you have cared about." Caroline couldn't help the sudden panic that shot through her veins, the words invoking long forgotten feelings as an image sprung into her mind. It was an image she didn't recognize and yet, part of her felt she did.

_The first thing she saw was the blood. The room was stained in red. It was all over the floor, on the walls. Then all she could see were the broken bodies that littered the filthy ground. Not realizing what she was doing, she turned the nearest body over. Cloudy, dead eyes met her own._

_He was so pale, so very pale, his hair looking all the more dark in comparison. His lips were chapped and open in what could have been a scream… The only color was the red that was dripping from the gaping wound in his throat._

Caroline snapped out of her thoughts when suddenly Katherine let go of her, causing her to sink to her knees. The brunette smirked down at the silent vampire.

"Look at you. You're pathetic. You should've learned by now that love is nothing but a weakness. Don't forget; keep out of my wayl" There was a whoosh as Katherine blurred away.

Caroline barely noticed her departure, her mind on other things. She thought of all the ones she cared about. Stefan. Elena. Bonnie. Matt. Tyler. Jeremy. Damon, even. And then there came the ones already dead. Lexi. Anna. Pearl.

She thought back to the image, the bloody image. _'I will end everyone you have cared about' _Katherine's voice said mockingly in her head.

_Everyone you have ever cared about. Everyone you have ever cared about. Cared about. _

_Cared about._

And then it came together. The image.

Could it be that losing Lexi, Anna, and Pearl was not the first time Caroline had lost people she loved?

Perhaps… Perhaps the image was a memory… But why would so many centuries pass and not a single memory had come to her until today? Maybe… Maybe it had something to do with recent events triggering bad memories…

Whatever the case, there was only one thing that Caroline truly knew right now, and that was that she could never allow such a thing to occur ever again.

Katherine had to be stopped.

* * *

When Katherine murdered Lisa in cold blood, turning her and making her into her little pet, to get back at Elena, Caroline wasn't sure what to feel. She had never particularly liked the human girl but she would never have wished her death on her either. She knew the turning must've really hit Matt though. Elena had told her he was worried about her. Caroline just hoped they would be able to help the girl.

In the meantime, however, the need to get rid of the Pierce woman was never direr.

But what was she to do? If she made a move, Katherine would know and then no one would be safe.

They needed a plan. And fast.

* * *

Caroline just entered the Salvatore house a week later when she caught the tail end of what seemed to be a very important conversation.

"_Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls was rooted in folklore and legend, at the time of which I thought was fiction."_ Came Alaric's voice.

"_Like that amazing vampire story." _Sarcastic comment. Definitely Damon.

"_Aside from vampires, what else?" _Elena asked.

"_The lycanthrope."_ _Of course,_ Caroline thought, _the Lockwoods._

"_Wait, like werewolves?"_

"_No way. Impossible. Way too Lon Chaney." _

"_Is it?"_

"_I've been on this plane 160 some odd years and I've never come across one." _Caroline decided now was as good as a time as any to make her presence known.

"Well, seeing as I have been around for more than four centuries, I'd say I know more than you do, Damon." She said, entering the parlor. The others looked at her in surprise, not realizing she had been waiting right outside for most of their little talk. "And, let me tell you, werewolves – not as impossible as you think." Now the looks turned from surprise to disbelief.

"It's impossible." Damon insisted. "Don't you think I would have seen one by now? If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?"

"Dead." Caroline sat down next to Alaric, who was looking at her curiously. Unlike most of the rest of their gang, Alaric very rarely saw this side of her, the _old_ side that didn't act like a stereotypical blonde teenager in class.

"What do you mean _dead_?" Stefan asked, face crunched into a concerned look.

"Well, I don't know that much about werewolves, but what I do know is that centuries ago they were hunted near to extinction by vampires. Which is why they're a rare sight nowadays." Elena was about to ask another question but Caroline raised her hand to gesture for her to be quiet. "I know what you're going to ask, 'why were they being hunted?' And the truth is I'm not sure. But, from what it seemed like, at the time, the vampires were scared."

The silence that followed seemed to stretch as they all mulled it over. She knew it was a hard thing to swallow, finding out there was another intelligent species besides your own. But, they would have to get prepared to have their worlds flipped every now and again for what was to come.

And, they should've realized, if there was one thing Hollywood movies got right about vampires, it is that they always came with werewolves.

"When was this?" Alaric finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I was still a baby vampire then, so during the 1500s." Caroline stated.

"Did you ever see a werewolf?" This time is was Elena who was asking the question.

"Yes, once. This was way back when…. When I was with Pearl and Anna. We had arrived at a small town in southwest of France where we had planned to visit some old friends of Pearl. Only, when we got there, her friends were dead. The next day, a man came to us and warned us to leave town, or there would be dire consequences. We should've left but we didn't. Pearl never liked to admit she was wrong…." The blonde vampire had to take a moment to collect herself; it still stung to think of the woman who had been like a mother to her. "Anyways, long story short, a couple of days later, we were attacked by what I thought at the time was a wolf. But it was fast, way too fast, and, after Pearl killed it and we got the hell out of there, she told me it was a werewolf." She glanced at each of her friends. "And that is all that I know about werewolves."

"Great." Came Damon's sarcastic reply. "So all blondie here told us is that werewolves exist. We need to know more." He turned to look at 'Ric. "We need to see Isobel's research."

* * *

When Caroline volunteered to go with Elena, Damon, and Alaric to Duke University, she didn't realize what she had really gotten herself into.

"Sorry you couldn't come too, Stef." Damon said as he watched his brother and Elena standing by each other. This, of course, led to some touchy-touchy PDA by the happy couple and an annoyed look by the elder of the two Salvatores. _Children_, Caroline thought, with a roll of her eyes.

"OK…" Caroline said, trying to break through all of the awkwardness. "Time to go."

"I couldn't agree more." Damon stated, hopping in the front seat. Meanwhile, Stefan opened the back door, and gestured for Elena to get in the car. Just as Caroline was about to join her, a hand on her arm stopped her. She glanced up at Stefan questioningly.

"Can you keep an eye on them for me? I'd rather they _not _kill each other." He asked, voice low so that only she (and Damon) could hear.

"Of course." She replied, reaching over to squeeze the hand that was on her arm reassuringly. "Now stop worrying, we'll be fine."

"If you say so, _bella_."

"I do. Now, seriously, we have to get going." Caroline reached up for a brief hug before saying her goodbyes and joining the others in the car, only to soon notice the overwhelming tension.

_Why did I volunteer for this again?_

* * *

Caroline couldn't be more happy to finally be at Duke University. When Damon and Elena were mad at each other it was like they were two small children. Not that she didn't understand why Elena was angry; Damon _had _snapped Jeremy's neck, after all.

Caroline had ended up ignoring them for the rest of the car ride, instead opting to hold a quiet conversation with 'Ric, mostly about recent history. He seemed really interested about what she had to say, after all, she had experienced the most history out of their little gang. And he was a history teacher. Simple question of connect the dots. Caroline was just glad she could distract the guy from thinking of his ex-wife, at least for a bit.

Their group was currently looking around Isobel's office, whilst the grad student, Vanessa, went to get the lights. Caroline was standing by the bookshelf, looking curiously at the various volumes. She immediately noticed a few books on Mystic Falls, dating back to the 1800s. There was also another book that caught her eye. It was an old one, that was for sure, and on its spine was what she assumed to be a sigil or a seal; it was a stylized _M_, surrounded by five stars. She was just about to grab it when she heard Elena gasp.

Caroline whipped around just in time to notice the crossbow that Vanessa had in her hands and Damon jumping in front of Elena, getting an arrow in the back in the process. Caroline immediately blurred across the room and grabbed Vanessa's crossbow, watching how the human girl's eyes widened as she snapped the thing in half with a simple twist of her wrist. She then was quick to grab the girl so she wouldn't run. Though she and Damon weren't exactly the best of friends, she still didn't appreciate him getting shot.

As Elena took care of the arrow, Caroline and Alaric forced Vanessa down into a chair. The girl sputtered, clearly terrified out of her wits.

"P-Please! Okay, I freaked! Alright, you would've done the same thing! It is not possible! Katherine Pierce can't be alive and D-Damon Salvatore _died_ in 1864." Vanessa stuttered out nervously, before glancing to Caroline. "And you, you shouldn't be here, either! Okay, I-I read Isobel's research-"

"Well then you should know just how possible this is." Alaric interrupted.

"It's all a little more real then you believed, huh?" Caroline added in as Elena and an arrowless Damon reentered the room. Elena then proceeded to try and explain their situation and was finally able to convince Vanessa into helping them out.

They then began pulling out all the things relevant to Mystic Falls as Vanessa told them what it all meant. In a quiet moment, Caroline approached the girl, who immediately tensed up when she saw who was standing next to her.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. And neither will Damon; I'll make sure of that." She said, putting on the most cheerful smile she could muster. "I was just wondering, I mean, you seem to know a lot of about all of us, is there…. Is there anything you can tell me about, well, about _me?" _She waited patiently whilst Vanessa took a shuddering breath, apparently trying to calm herself.

"Well, I don't know much, Isobel's research centered mostly around Mystic Falls… But I do know you were there for a while back in 1864?" The brunette said as she continued to look through the box, before pulling out something and handing it to Caroline.

It was an old picture of her and Anna and Pearl, in which they stood in front of the apothecary Pearl had owned. Caroline felt tears rush to her eyes and blinked several times, knowing she couldn't just keep crying. She had to be strong. Instead, she thanked Vanessa and pocketed the photo.

_I am so sorry, Anna. Pearl._

* * *

Caroline could barely stand the car ride back to Mystic Falls. If she had thought the tension was too much before, it was much worse on the way back. Of course, she had overheard Elena and Damon's conversation, so she understood why things were so tense, but there was really nothing she could do for either of them.

The silence did allow for her to mull over some of the things they had found out during their trip.

Namely, the sun and moon curse. Caroline had the odd inkling it was not the first time she had heard of it. But it made sense. Why else would vampires have gone through all the trouble to kill off so many werewolves?

It was worrying though, that a bite could be fatal. She just hoped nothing would happen, but, with the Lockwoods being of werewolf blood, it was best to be on their guard. Just in case.

* * *

Lisa was killed. This time for good. Katherine killed her when she sensed her betrayal. Caroline had never hated anyone more. Katherine's reign of terror needed to end.

The only remotely good thing that came from Lisa's death was that Katherine was in the tomb. Stuck there just as she was supposed to have been back in 1864. Caroline couldn't help but feel it was poetic justice. Of course, her only good feeling was ruined when Elena came to her for help. She wanted to interrogate Katherine, ask her what the hell happened way back when. At first Caroline was going to refuse, really, but then, when she thought about it, it was the perfect opportunity for not just Elena, but for her as well.

Caroline already knew Katherine would never say a thing to her about her past unless it hurt the blonde vampire in some way. But Elena… Elena was an entirely different matter.

_Maybe Elena can help me get to my past…_

So she helped her, went with her friend to the tomb and opened it up for her... and now she was here distracting her other friend, her _best_ friend, Stefan. Hence, the bad feelings. They were in sitting in the Mystic Grill, where she had _lured_ him… _How could I do this to him?_

At first they discussed Tyler and his transformation into a werewolf; Caroline had decided to help him out. She knew well enough the pain of being alone. So she had let it slip she was also _different _to the Lockwood boy, that she was a vampire. Guess once you spill a secret for the first time, it gets easier to do it a second time.

But she couldn't help it! Tyler was her _friend_!

Once she had gotten Stefan over that, she began talking about things she had been wanting to tell him for a while... Such as the image that she had seen a few weeks ago.

"I just, I don't know, Stef…" She sighed, putting down her fork. "I've never remembered anything before so I can't be sure if it's real… But I feel like it is…"

"I don't know either, Care… Are you sure it wasn't a different memory, from later on? Maybe some massacre you witnessed and blocked out or something?" Stefan sat back in his chair, arms crossed as he pondered the possibilities.

"I'm sure. This… This was older. Like, you remember things from when you were human, right? From your childhood?" She asked, trying to find a way to word everything. It was just so difficult, she'd never had to describe something like this before. This was new, and, to be honest, it scared her more than she had expected. _I guess after so long not knowing who I really am, I'm afraid to begin knowing… I'm afraid it'll be bad…_

"Of course." The younger Salvatore replied, shrugging.

"Well, I think that is kind of what this feels like. Only, I don't think I was a human child, but, I guess you could say, a vampire child… I don't know, it's probably not that important…"

"What are you talking about, Care?" Stefan suddenly exclaimed, almost angrily. Caroline looked up at him in surprise. "Of _course_, it's important. Look, I know I'm no Lexi, but, if you want to talk about this stuff then come talk about it, don't wait _weeks_!" He glanced at her, leaning forward onto his elbows. "You're finally _remembering_ something, Care, isn't that what you always wanted?"

"You're right." She smiled. "Of course, you're right." Stefan smiled back, but Caroline noticed the sadness that lighted his eyes. She reached out and placed her hand gently on his. "It's ok… I miss her too, you know." This time Stefan's smile was real, it was small, but it was there. He squeezed her hand once before letting go.

They continued to talk, Caroline sidetracking Stefan every time he attempted to leave. The more she did it, the more she felt a pang of guilt with every distraction. Eventually, though, he caught on.

"OK, now I'm leaving." Stefan said, annoyed. He made to move away.

"Wait… ummm…" She panicked. _Crap! Of all the times I run out of things to talk about, it just _had_ to be today, didn't it?_

"No, Caroline, you have two seconds to come clean." _He's using my full name… That is _not _a good sign._

"What do you mean?" The blonde tried for the innocent act. Of course, Stefan, having known her for so long, immediately picked up on it.

"I'd believe the whole innocent act a little better if I didn't know how good you were at providing a distraction on demand. Plus, you've never been able to lie to me… Where is Elena?" There was a moment of tense silence until, finally, Caroline sighed.

"I can't tell you." Stefan immediately looked confused and, at that moment, Caroline wished she could sink into a black hole and never come back. _Why did I agree to this? Oh right! Because I was too damn curious to stay out of this whole mess._

"You can't tell me? What, are you kidding me?" His expression angered.

"I'm sorry, but… I can't tell you." She tried again.

"Caroline, Elena was kidnapped, she could've been killed, and you're seriously not going to tell me where she is?"

"She's not in any danger. I would _not_ have let her put herself in danger." Caroline defended.

"Put herself in danger where? What are you-?" A look of horrible realization entered Stefan's eyes. "She's with Damon… isn't she?"

"Ew, no!" Caroline immediately exclaimed.

"Then where- Where is she? Listen, if you're my friend then you'll tell me where she is." _Ugh, why did he have to pull the friend card… That's I'm going to go to Hell for this… Crap, I'm screwed._

"Stefan, you _know_ I'm your friend, I have been longer than anyone! But, I'm also Elena's friend and I'm sorry, but I'm not going to tell you where she is. Look, I promise you, she needed to do this… She had good reason to. Otherwise I'd have never let her." The look of disappointment and betrayal on her friend's face nearly broke Caroline's heart. She had never felt so guilty.

"Fine." He grumbled. But before he could get away, however, Caroline once again opened her mouth.

"Are you mad at me, Stefan?" She asked. "If it helps any, I really am sorry…"

"I guess I am mad… But, I get why you won't tell me, Care… And I do trust that you made sure she was ok." He sighed again. "I have to go, ok?" Without another word, he turned and left.

Caroline sighed; she knew, well, _hopefully_, Stefan would forgive her. Still, she felt horrible... _used_, almost. But, what should she have done? Elena was maybe her only chance at getting anything out of Katherine... What could she have done? _Even Stefan said my past is important_... Besides, Elena would have gone with or without permission... The guilt was eating her up, though. She never meant to hurt anyone but it seemed like everyone around her was getting hurt anyways...

_What's wrong with me?_

* * *

Caroline found herself heading back to the tomb, to check up on Elena. As soon as she was in range though, she heard not only the distinct voices, or voice she supposed, of Elena and Katherine, but also that of Stefan. Suddenly Caroline felt panic course through her; had something gone wrong?

Before she knew it she was blurring down to the tomb.

"_There it is. That's the ultimate lie, isn't it? You spun this whole thing so we would have to get the stone from you." _Caroline recognized Stefan's accusing tone.

"_I didn't spin anything, Stefan. It's the truth." _The blonde vampire was nearing the tomb, very close to the steps down.

"_No, let me guess. You want to trade that stone for your freedom." _Stefan barely glanced at Caroline as she arrived on the scene. Luckily, she was relieved to see thateveryone seemed up on his or her feet and they were all ok. Well, Caroline could've done with Katherine having at least a scratch, but she guessed she couldn't get everything you wanted… "You manipulative, psychotic bitch."Stefan snarled, continuing on.

"My freedom?" Katherine almost laughed in reply. "That's where you're wrong, Stefan. I don't want my freedom, because when Klaus shows up to kill us all and he will… I'll be in the tomb where no vampire will enter because they can't get out." She stared at the Salvatore in triumph. "I'll be the safest psychotic bitch in town."

This left them all in silence, speechless. Well, that was a plot twist if Caroline ever saw one…

"Well," Caroline glanced back at the Petrova vampire, surprised to see brown eyes meeting her own. "I'll be _one _of them, at least." This caused the other to stare at her in shock as Katherine slowly backed up into the tomb. The blonde vampire felt herself pale, wondering what that statement really meant.

"What do you mean?" Stefan suddenly called after her. "What do you _mean?" _For a second, Caroline thought they would get no reply.

"Ask Caroline."

When Caroline finally gathered enough courage to glance up at Stefan, she found him looking at her in confusion, pity, and, to her shame, for the very first time, the tiniest amount of distrust.

There was only one thought in her mind…

_What is wrong with me?_

* * *

A few weeks had passed since what Caroline liked to call the Katherine debacle. Since then so much had happened. Elena had made a deal with a man known only as Elijah. Caroline had yet to meet the apparently ancient vampire but when she did, she wasn't going to be afraid to give him a piece of her mind. Jeremy had done the stupid thing and gotten stuck in the tomb causing Stefan to go in after him and free him. Of course, that only led to him also getting stuck in the tomb. _Damn Stefan and his hero complex! _Then, the illustrious Elijah freed Stefan at Elena's command, but _compelled _Katherine into staying there. _The fact that he is able to compel vampires is more frightening than any of us could have imagined… _

And then there was also the whole Rose thing. Caroline had never met the vampire before, despite them being of similar age. She was nice enough, Caroline supposed, but it was really the effect she had had on Damon that made the Forbes vampire truly come like her. Her friendship with Damon had brought out the human side in him; one she had not seen much since he actually _had _been human. It made her think of her own friendship with his younger brother.

But then she died, the werewolf bite even more horrific then they originally thought. And this time it was Damon who lost a friend. But, Caroline liked to think he had also gained a new one (or an old one, more like). Damon and her held a tentative friendship now, but a friendship all the same.

Despite the fact that Caroline wasn't able to do much during any of this, she had had her own problems, lately. Mainly involving Tyler Lockwood, resident werewolf. He was also her friend and she'd helped him come to terms with what he is. She had been helping him, but, for his protection, she'd also kept most of her involvement a secret. Stefan was the only one who really knew what was going on.

Only, this morning really worried her. He'd appeared in front of her house when she was headed to her car, wanting to talk. This didn't particularly surprise her; he did so quite often. So when he came, she immediately started reassuring him that the transformation would get easier, just as she always did… But, he just stared at her, quiet.

And then came world war three when Tyler asked her one question: _"What happened to my uncle Mason?"_ Caroline had immediately known all of her careful planning was blown apart right there. Somehow, he had found out about Stefan and Damon and the part they had played in Mason's death.

Just as usual in her life lately, Caroline really didn't know what to do. Who knew choosing to live a life, a _real _one, would be so difficult? Luckily, Stefan had come to her aid and agreed to talk to Tyler.

Her only other consolation during the entire ordeal was the fact that Stefan and Elena hadn't brought up Katherine's comments about her… yet, that is. Oh, she knew well enough the topic would not be avoided forever, but, for now, she was perfectly happy ignoring the whole thing… It's just, what Katherine suggested… it worried her… She acted as if she _knew _something about Klaus and the Originals… And the scary thing was that Caroline couldn't be sure whether or not she did…

Sighing, Caroline pulled herself away from that line of thinking, knowing it would probably just drive her absolutely insane. Instead, she focused on getting into her car, despite the fact that the mundane task wouldn't help her get her mind off things…

"Excuse me." A voice she didn't recognize called from behind her. Caroline turned to glance at the unfamiliar woman. "Caroline, right?" And immediately the unfamiliar woman was not so unfamiliar anymore. _Wolf_, her mind told her.

"Yeah." She replied, looking around and noticing that no one else seemed to be there.

"I'm looking for Tyler. You haven't seen him, have you?" This must be Jules, the vampire realized.

"Nope." She denied. "Not since earlier. Sorry." She turned back to her car, hoping that Jules wouldn't continue this. Caroline didn't relish the thought of killing someone in the middle of a street.

"I know you're lying." _Well, there goes the subtlety plan._

"Really?" She turned back to Jules. "How? Is that one of your little wolf tricks?"

"Actually it is." Caroline disliked little wolf girl's smug tone so she turned, and smirked to herself.

"Well…" Her eyes began to rush with blood, fangs lengthening. "I have a trick too." She turned, quick as lightening only to be vervained in the face. Unfortunately for Jules though, vervain didn't hinder Caroline; still hurt like hell though. Still, she managed to tackle Jules into the wall of the building opposite.

Too bad she didn't here the footsteps behind her though. Or the sound of a gun being cocked.

_Bang!_

She fell.

Black.

* * *

_Caroline walked around aimlessly, the blackness around her taking away all her senses. All that was left was herself and the man standing across from her. As she looked at him, she felt the sudden urge to reach out and wrap herself around him. But it would not happen, it had not happened in the last thousand times she had dreamt this particular tale._

_Instead, they stood across from each other, forever at a state of limbo. Had Caroline been able to, she would somehow shatter the nerve-wracking limbo that came every time she closed her eyes._

'_Who are you to me?' She asked the shadow man in her dreams... The one that gazed upon in her with eyes that were a shade of blue that she had never seen. His eyes were absolutely mesmerizing. 'Why do I know you?'_

_And then as she reached out to him, wanting to touch him, finally. But then as she felt herself get sucked into his blue, blue eyes… but he didn't disappear. He didn't disappear as he had every other night…_

_Instead, the dream, for she knew, as always, that this was a dream, shifted in a flash._

_She found herself watching two people from above. A man and a woman. They were riding horses, laughing and talking. _

_When the woman looked up, Caroline was shocked; she was looking at herself._

_She never saw the man's face._

_Flash!_

_She watched herself as she held hands with the same man from before, standing together in a circle of fire. It was almost like a twisted mockery of a wedding._

"_Through life, through blood, and through shadow." They chanted… Bound. They were bound…_

_She never saw the man's face._

_Flash!_

_She saw them sitting together in bed as she held a ring._

"_It took you long enough."_

_She never saw the man's face._

_Flash!_

_Now she was floating and everything went black. She felt herself drifting…. Drifting…._

"_Wake up." She heard a voice and turned to face it. She was back to the beginning, gazing at the shadow man. His voice continued to urge her on. "Wake up… Love, you must open your eyes… Open them!"_

_And so she did._

Pain. That was the first thing Caroline registered when she opened her eyes. A blinding pain centered in her forehead. She gasped as the bullet pushed its way out of her skull. Finally, it dropped into her hand and she felt her skin sew itself back together. In a few moments there would be no sign of her ever being shot.

She immediately tried to get herself out of the cage that her captors had so kindly put her in, but she found herself weakened, maybe a quarter or less of her usual strength. _They must've put more vervain into my system while I was out, a lot more._

However, her attempts of escape stopped abruptly when she suddenly noticed the man sitting in front of her cage, watching her like she was some kind of animal in a zoo.

"I see you got that bullet out." He stated. "That was _nasty_." Caroline looked around, trying to find some other way to get _the hell out_. "I got lots of wooden bullets. Other toys." He continued. "It's going to be a long night, sweet pea." He lifted his gun and shot her in the shoulder.

Caroline hissed, not allowing herself to cry out; she be damned if she became this guy's plaything. Soon enough, the bullet was out and she edged closer to the bars, keeping her eyes on his.

"It'll take more then some second piece of wood to down me… _sweet pea._" She mocked breathlessly. She knew mockery probably wasn't a good idea when the guy only smirked ominously in return.

This time when he brought up his gun, he shot her three times.

This time Caroline couldn't hold back the scream that bubble to her throat.

In her haze of red pain, Caroline didn't notice when Jules entered the trailer, demanding proof. She did, however, notice when the guy shot off another two rounds. She screamed desperately, just wanting the pain to _stop_.

_Why is this happening to me?_

_What is wrong with me?_

"So," The bastard's voice filtered through her panicked mind. "How many vampires are there in this town, anyway?"

When she didn't reply, he sprayed vervain into her face again causing Caroline to gasp. Still, she didn't answer his question. She instead proceeded to curse him in every language she knew.

"Well…" The guy sighed.

"Why are you doing this to me?" Caroline yelled at him, kicking at the cage. "Why?"

"You're a vampire." He stated, as if it was obvious. "Why not?" Three pieces of sharpened wood flew into her neck, causing her let out a small cry of pain.

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

She had enough. She just wanted to be away from this cage, away from _him._

"Let me out!" She screamed, desperate, kicking again.

"What was that?" He repeated, mockingly.

"Let me out!" She tried once more.

When nothing happened, Caroline knew she had to calm down. Stefan and Damon would come and save her, right? It was going to be ok… Taking a deep breath, she centered herself, shifting to the middle of the cage where she sat with crossed arms. When she next looked at her torturer, she was completely serene, as if she wasn't being shot full of wood and vervain for the past hour.

_Be strong. You're not girly and you're not weak._

"You do realize that when I get out of here, and I _will_, I am going to _rip_ your heart." She smirked, leaning forward so that she could clutch the bars and stare him right in the eyes. "You really shouldn't have gotten on my bad side."

Caroline briefly enjoyed the anger in his eyes before another bullet hit her.

This time she didn't scream.

She laughed hysterically, instead.

* * *

When Caroline heard the comforting sound of Stefan and Damon's voices, she immediately tried again to open the cage. Then Tyler came running in and she knew this was her chance. It took longer than she wanted but she managed to convince him to open the cage.

As soon as she was out, she didn't allow herself a moment to enjoy her freedom, opting to head straight out and help the Salvatores with the wolf pack. Of course, considering her luck, Jules was already there waiting for her. In her weakened state, the werewolf was able to pin her against the wall of the trailer, a gun to the back of her head. When Tyler's head popped out of the door, she felt her hope rise suddenly.

But he just… _stared _at her_…_

It made her angry, so angry in fact that she managed to wrestle the gun away from Jules as she whipped around quickly and pull her into a chokehold. Her fangs lengthened and she posed herself so that she would be able to rip into her throat.

"Stop!" Caroline recognized the voice of her torturer and turned her gaze to him. He was kneeling beside Damon, a stake held over his heart. "If you she dies, he dies." Then Brady, as she found her torturer was called, smirked at her. "Looks like there will be no heart-ripping for you, sweet pea."

For a second Caroline thought she had lost _again_, when suddenly both Brady and Jules, along with the rest remaining wolves, screamed loudly, clutching at their heads. Caroline let go of the werewolf, watching as she writhed about on the forest floor.

"What's happening?" She asked, bewildered. Glancing around, she soon noticed a tall African-American man walking towards them, with his hands held out. _Warlock._

"Elijah made a promise to Elena, I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go." He said.

Caroline felt relief course through her system, knowing that the whole thing was finally over. She made her way to the man when she felt the Salvatore brothers join her, Stefan placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. Caroline immediately brought herself closer to him, wanting nothing more than to simply fall asleep and forget this all.

"Get out of here." The warlock commanded. "Now."

They didn't need anymore prompting and so the three vampires began their trek back home. Caroline felt herself shutting off the world, wrapping herself in a nice cozy bubble of obliviousness.

"It's ok,_ bella._" She distantly heard Stefan say.

"Yeah, we got your back, blondie." Damon agreed, trying for snark but coming off more concerned than she knew he wanted to.

Caroline just nodded, letting them lead her away.

* * *

That night, Tyler came for a visit, trying to apologize, but Caroline was not going to forgive him that easily. No way. But, when Stefan came back, dragging Elena and Bonnie with him, knowing that Caroline needed some girl time, the blond vampire thanked him with a grateful smile.

It was in that moment that she knew that her friends, her _true_ friends, were always going to be there.

Just like she would always be there for them.

* * *

Though Caroline, like the _rest_ of the sane world, thought Damon's idea for a dinner party was a ginormously bad idea, when he invited her, she didn't refuse. After all, what more perfect opportunity to meet this mysterious Elijah everyone is always on about? So, despite her misgivings, she said she'd come.

So, here she was, waiting patiently, well impatiently, for the older vampire to arrive. And then finally, _finally_, there was a knock on the door. Damon answered it to reveal a handsome man, with a strong jaw, and longish brown hair. He wore a dark suit and his eyes revealed a sharpness and intellect that was a rarity nowadays. He was not to be underestimated.

After she heard the finish of his and Damon's 'who can make the best threat' game, Caroline decided to introduce herself. The funny thing is though, as she approached, Elijah's face suddenly turned shell-shocked.

"Ah, Elijah. I would like you to meet a very good friend of mine, Caroline Forbes." Damon said, pulling Caroline forward by the shoulder, looking down at her questioningly. She simply shrugged; she didn't know why Elijah was reacting to oddly, either. She decided to ignore it, however, and stuck out her hand to the much older vampire.

"It's nice to meet you, Elijah." She said sweetly, smiling as brightly as she could muster. That seemed to pull the man out of his stupor as the shocked look was soon wiped away and replaced with emotionless mask he had donned before. He took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he went the old-fashioned route and kissed the back of her hand lightly. There was something strangely familiar about this whole situation, Caroline realized.

"A pleasure." Elijah said, staring at her straight in the eye, keeping a hold of her hand. Caroline didn't try to take it away, knowing she couldn't have even if she tried. Finally, he pulled away, causing her to almost sigh in relief. "I'm sure, Ms. Forbes, that you and I will have some interesting conversation tonight, seeing as we have both walked the earth for quite some time."

"What was that?" Damon asked when Elijah went to greet Jenna.

"No clue."

* * *

Throughout the dinner, Caroline felt Elijah staring at her and it made her increasingly uncomfortable. So when Damon and he left for a few moments, she was tempted to leave. However, it was the strangest thing, when Alaric used the white oak dagger on him, Caroline had the smallest feeling of guilt… As if she owed him something.

She'd been sitting across from him when it happened and the way he stared at her when he was dying really disturbed her.

He stared at her as if he _knew_ her.

Of course, it was only later on in the evening that they learnt that the dagger had to stay in Elijah for him to stay dead. They also only learnt later that when a vampire dies, his compulsion wears off.

It's a shame, really, because then they could've avoided freeing Katherine.

She knew this was a bad idea.

* * *

Klaus.

Klaus, the Original, the scariest of them all, had come to Mystic Falls, using Alaric as his human puppet. He had shown up at the Mystic Falls High dance, practically stalked Elena, and 'killed' Bonnie… Of course, Caroline had heard this all second hand…

This time, Caroline had chosen not to go to the dance; she loved her friends, honestly, she did, but with all that's been going on lately, she just couldn't find the enthusiasm for it. She didn't want to be a party pooper either so she'd told everyone else to go and have fun…

Clearly, that didn't happen.

Klaus. His name alone brought shivers down Caroline's spine. They had been talking about his arrival for so long, it almost seemed like he would never actually get there, kind of like a dream that they would never reach, well, _nightmare_ she should say. But then he came, choosing Alaric as his vessel. She wondered how he learnt to do that, transfer bodies… But then, she supposed he _had _lived more than a millennium. If that was enough time to forge an entire fake curse such as the sun and moon curse, then surely it was enough time to learn a few tricks along the way.

Caroline herself couldn't imagine being more than 1000 years old. What must he have seen? What must he have _experienced?_

If she were in other circumstances, Caroline thought that perhaps she would want to get to know the ancient vampire.

They had only very recently found out that Klaus was in fact Eiljah's brother. Despite this, it seemed Elijah wanted nothing more than Klaus' death. The closest thing Caroline had to brothers were the Salvatores, and she could never imagine wanting to end them, no matter how many terrible things Damon, and, indeed, Stefan, had done in their lives.

But, Elijah, he wanted to end his brother.

Klaus.

Caroline wondered where he was now. Whether or not he was planning their deaths.

She sincerely hoped not.

* * *

Caroline opened her eyes slowly. They were heavy and she wanted nothing more than to close them again and just sleep, but, something was urging to get up. Eventually she was able to get them all the way open and she lifted her pounding head. She immediately knew that she had been vervained _again_.

Then she noticed the fact that she was shackled up to a wall. And that Tyler was sitting right across from her. _Damn it! The warlock, he did this! _The warlock had attacked them when Caroline ran into Tyler after he came back to check on his mom. Caroline soon realized just why they were taken; they would be part of the sacrifice that Klaus needed to complete in order to lift the curse that kept him purely vampire.

"Tyler." She said, getting his attention.

"You okay?" He immediately asked.

"I think so." She replied, yanking at the chains.

"I already tried." Tyler added, watching her attempts to break herself free. She kept trying but found it was in vain.

"Those witches vervained me." She stated, sighing. It would be no use trying to break free; she was simply too weak.

"Who were they?" Tyler asked.

"I think they're with Klaus." _More like I know, _Caroline thought.

"Who's Klaus?" The blonde vampire almost felt like laughing at her friend's question.

"Oh, Tyler" She said. "You shouldn't have come back here."

_Klaus is here, after all._

Caroline shivered.

* * *

After she explained all about their current predicament to Tyler, Caroline almost lost all hope for any rescue. On the bright side, however, her strength was returning quickly. Her age was helpful factor in that regard; it helped to build up some tolerance to vervain.

Suddenly though, her hopes were answered when she heard the distinct crumbling and footsteps of someone entering the cave like room in which they were held. Sure enough, Damon soon appeared.

"Damon?" Caroline asked as the elder Salvatore made quick work of the chains.

"Told you we have your back, blondie." He said. "By the way, Matt's outside with a rifle loaded with wooden bullets; you have some explaining to do."

"What do you mean? I didn't tell him anything." Caroline said as she stood, rubbing at her wrists.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow's problem; let's just get you out of here." Damon said, interrupting her protests. He began to lead her out of the room when Caroline stopped, glancing at Tyler.

"Wait, Damon, _no._" She stated. "I'm _not _leaving without him." Caroline would never abandon her friends. Damon scoffed but ended up freeing Tyler anyways. Between the two of them they managed to get Tyler to his family's cellar, locked up nice and tight. Before they did it, however, Tyler attacked Damon; luckily, Damon was not alone and Caroline helped him out.

However, during that time, Stefan called Damon, telling him of how Klaus had Elena. _"She's already gone, Damon." _Stefan had said. _"Klaus came; he took her."_

Caroline had never felt such panic in her life.

But then, when Damon told Caroline he's 'take care of it', Caroline knew what she had to do.

It was time to make good on her promise to take care of her friends. Even if that meant sacrificing her own life.

* * *

Caroline followed Damon as he made for Alaric's apartment, where they knew Klaus was staying.

"Go away, blondie." He sighed. " Weren't you going to go help wolfboy?"

"He's fine." She replied, crossing her arms. "Besides, we both know it's you who needs help. You _can't _go and take Klaus on, on your _own!_ It's suicide!" Caroline's exclamation was indignant and full of worry.

"I know." Damon almost whispered it, but Caroline heard it all the same.

"You know?" The older vampire exploded. "And you're _still_ doing it? Have you gone completely _bonkers_?"

"I'm doing it for _them_." Caroline knew he meant Stefan and Elena. "Besides… I got bitten." Bitten? _Oh no… Werewolf bite._

"Oh Damon, I am so sorry." She said, grief flooding her features; she couldn't lose another friend. "But I'm still not letting you do it." Damon looked like he was about to argue but Caroline beat him to it. "At least not alone; I'm going with you, whether you like it or not. Look, Alaric has invited the both of us in before and you _need_ help. So, let me _help _you." Her voice was almost pleading as he considered.

There was a long silence until Damon finally replied.

"Fine." He said, causing his companion to sigh in relief. "But you better not slow me down."

* * *

Caroline stood nervously beside Damon as they hid together in the apartment across from Alaric's, waiting for the imminent arrival of Klaus. The blonde vampire could barely hear his footsteps coming up the stairs and, with each step, her heart seemed to beat faster and faster. The feeling was foreign to her; there were not many people in the world that had such an affect on her.

The footsteps came closer and closer until they finally stopped. The door to the other apartment opened slowly; Caroline's heart beat even faster. _Does he know we're here? Is he waiting to take us by surprise?_

And then she heard the voice, an impossibly beautiful voice. It was deep and flowed a British accent. It was quite simply the most alluring voice Caroline had ever heard.

And it belonged to the one person they all _hated_.

Klaus.

"Where's Maddox?" He asked Katherine in that lovely voice of his. "He should be back by now."

"I don't know." Came Katherine's reply. Caroline felt Damon bristle next to her, restless. "What are you doing?" The brunette vampire then asked. "Where's Elena?"

"I sent her off with Greta." Klaus replied, his voice rumbling. "It's almost time." And then it seemed like Damon couldn't help himself; the vampire blurred away from her before she could stop it and right in front of their enemy, in front of Klaus.

"I wasn't aware you'd been invited in." Was all Klaus said, not seeming in the least intimidated.

"I've come here to tell you that you have to postpone the ritual." _What are you, Damon? _Her heart was telling her to reveal herself, but her gut told her to wait.

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Klaus replied; the darkness in his tone made an unexpected shiver run up Caroline's spine.

"Yeah, but that was before I rescued your werewolf and vampire and killed your witch." The elder Salvatore stated.

"Excuse me?" The Original growled in return, his anger almost tangible even to Caroline who was several yards away.

"And you can kill me for it, I don't care. It was all me." _Damon…_

"Katerina, give us a moment." Caroline heard the other vampire's footsteps as she did as Klaus commanded.

"I've heard about you; the crazy, impulsive vampire, in love with his brother's girl." The blonde vampire swallowed, getting more nervous by the second. "I knew one of you would try to stop me; it was just a 50-50 guess on who…" Caroline suddenly heard what sounded like a recorded screaming. "The nice thing about werewolves is they tend to travel in packs; need a closer look?"

"Jules." _Wait… Klaus has another werewolf? Oh no, this is _not _good._

"When you spend a thousand years trying to break a curse, you learn a thing or two." The oldest being of them all said, his tone mocking. Caroline's instinct suddenly told her something _very _bad was going to happen. Before she knew what she was doing, she found herself moving towards the other apartment "First rule: Always have a backup. Backup werewolf. Backup witch…"

"Backup vampire." Damon finished for him. Both him and Caroline knew what exactly that meant. _No! Not Damon! _Caroline moved faster.

"I've got that covered too." Caroline entered the room just soon enough to see Damon's neck get snapped.

"No!" She screamed, watching as Damon fell to the floor. She didn't hear the miniature gasp that came from the person standing across from her. When she finally managed to tear her eyes away from the horrific sight before her, she turned them on the other vampire in the room…

He was the most striking man she'd ever seen, handsome, strongly built and with the most beautiful blue eyes. Blue eyes that were looking at her in confusion, shock, and _familiarity. _

"Caroline?" His lovely voice twisted into an almost desperate tone as he said her name.

_My name? How…? _And then it clicked; it made sense! It was what all the signs had been leading to; she had just been too blind to see it!

"You-You know me?" She stuttered out. His face shifted from shock to something akin to amusement.

"Tell me, love." He started. "Do I?"

Caroline stood still, silent, simply staring at her would be enemy. At Klaus. During the silence, she confirmed something. She finally figured what this feeling was that she kept having ever since she had heard of Klaus.

There was a sense of familiarity there.

"Yes." Caroline finally replied in wonderment. "Yes, I think I do."

**As you probably noticed, this chapter is much longer than most, (more like 2 chapters in one), so it is kind of my Christmas (or holiday) gift to you :) Happy holidays everyone!**

**For those of you who are worried if there will be Forwood; don't worry! It's not going to happen in this story, they're just friends ;) **

**Some of the dialogue in this chapter was pulled word-for-word from the show from episodes 2x04, 2x09, 2x13, 2x15 and 2x20. Also, the first part of the dream sequence was taken word-for-word from ch. 2 of this story; the rest was referring to events that occurred in TLTLB.**

**Also, sorry for all the typos! I only had time to go through this once…**

**Next chapter: We look into Klaus' side of things on his arrival to Mystic Falls.**

**I wish you all a holiday season filled with klaroline :) **

**RW**


	8. Lifetimes Ago

**Thank you to ignore common sense, BlueJean452, PenelopeSuriCUTE, arabella, shadowfaxangel, imusic247, LorenaLaufey, chillwithJyl, Princess Aziza, LadyKlaus, Sunfiresarah, TopazDragon, Emmalea, batgirl2992, ILoveYou1978, Clara, meagainpauline, Carasedrin, Akhemz831, PsychVamp, **_**Guest**_**, anon, Jessie, justine (x2), **_**Guest**_**, Lovely Rain Dancer, CinderNella, babyvfan, MarsterRoo, coffee14, angel1725, The Plant Reader, Jinx-inside, lotusdujapon, epic sweetness712, cakepopshelly and SweetyK for reviewing!**

**So, to all of those a little underwhelmed by the lack of shock last chapter, don't worry! This was all part of the plan :) I thought there was enough going on last chapter without adding more oomph to the cliffhanger. HOWEVER, this chapter focuses on Klaus' point of view (where last chap. was all about Caroline – which is why we didn't see much of Klaus' true reaction, either) so, I can tell you, there will be a lot more shock here ;) **

**Disclaimer: Me? Own The Vampire Diaries? Never!**

Chapter Seven

Lifetimes Ago

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

"We must be sure to get two of each Maddox." Klaus said as adjusted his clothing. It was always a bit uncomfortable, transferring to and from bodies, especially going into the body of a human; they were so much weaker than he was used to, after all.

"Yes, sire." The warlock replied, head bowed.

"Well, the wolves are taken care of. I do believe we still need some vampires. Tell me of our prospects." Klaus sat down in the couch, kicking up his feet on the coffee table.

"There are only three vampires in Mystic Falls, sire, the Salvatores and another; a girl, I believe her name was-" The Original held up his hand, gesturing for Maddox to stop; at this point, he could care less about some vampire he was going to sacrifice.

"Take the girl, I don't care how." He commanded with a wave of his hand. "Leave the Salvatores out of it, though. Take the Lockwood boy too." Maddox started for the door, when Klaus' voice stopped him. "Oh and Maddox..." The warlock glanced back. "It'd be best if you did not fail me in this matter."

"Yes, sire." He consented before leaving. Klaus then turned to the other witch in the room; he smirked, Greta had been scandalously easy to turn to his cause, as infatuated as she was with him. Unfortunately for her, all he needed from her was her witchy powers; without them, she would be useless to him.

"Greta, love." He said, waving her over. The girl smiled viciously at him as she came to stand before him. "I'll trust you to take care of plan B?" She nodded. "Then you'll take the other werewolf."

"And for the vampire, sire?" At this, Klaus smirked darkly. He had the _perfect_ candidate in mind.

"We'll which Salvatore betrays me… However, the Gilbert girl, she lives with an aunt, does she not?" He asked causing the witch to nod in confirmation. "Take her as well; never can be too careful… Also, that way, if one of those foolish brothers tries to stop me, they'll see just what happens to those who cross me." He leaned back in his seat, satisfied, watching as his second witch also left, smirking.

_Everything was going right according to plan_.

Oh how Klaus loved being just one step ahead of his opponents; it made the game so much more _fun._

* * *

"I wasn't aware you'd been invited in." Klaus stated as the blur passed by him. He could've caught the Salvatore in mid-run and simply ripped him in half right there, but that would be playing his cards too soon. Besides, he wanted to taste victory as he told the younger vampire of his imminent failure.

"I've come here to tell you that you have to postpone the ritual." Damon said. _I had thought it might be you._

"Didn't we already have this conversation?" Klaus replied, darkly, not entertained by his pathetic persistence. He should've just given in; most others would have. Didn't the fool know that there was nothing constant in his life?

"Yeah, but that was before I rescued your werewolf and vampire and killed your witch." The elder Salvatore stated, as if it would make all the difference in the world. It wouldn't really effect his plans, but still, such disobedience angered Klaus.

"Excuse me?" The Original growled in return.

"And you can kill me for it, I don't care. It was all me." _Well, if that isn't desperation…_

"Katerina, give us a moment." Klaus said, not caring for the Petrova woman to be here to witness his triumph. He was seriously consider just killing her and being done with it; she was, after all, clearly keeping things from him, such as the vervain she had been drinking. But a quick death truly was too kind, after all she had done to _him_, done to _Caroline…._

"I've heard about you; the crazy, impulsive vampire, in love with his brother's girl." Klaus stated, staring at Damon, showing him that he wasn't shaken at all by the other vampire's little 'intervention' plan. "I knew one of you would try to stop me; it was just a 50-50 guess on who…" The Original enjoyed the look of terrible realization on the Salvatore's face as he reopened up his laptop, showing the tape of his second werewolf. "The nice thing about werewolves is they tend to travel in packs; need a closer look?" He shut his laptop and tossed the other vampire his phone, listening to the sweet sound of the tortured yelling that came from it, and waited for the Salvatore to catch on.

"Jules." Klaus smirked before approaching Damon slowly, like a hunter does his prey.

"When you spend a thousand years trying to break a curse, you learn a thing or two." He mocked, circling. "First rule: Always have a backup. Backup werewolf. Backup witch…"

"Backup vampire." Damon finished for him, finally realizing what his role would be.

"I've got that covered too." Klaus stated before bringing up his hands and snapping the Salvatore's neck with one powerful turn of his arms. He watched at the body seemed to fall slowly to the floor… And then he heard the footsteps and a single shout that froze him in his spot.

"No!" The scream was desperate, horrified, and not at all unlike the screams he heard nearly everyday. And, it _was _different. It was completely and utterly different; it was the voice he had been yearning to hear every day for the last five centuries now. _It can't be…_

It was like the world was whirring around him in slow motion as Klaus lifted his head to look at his intruder. And then his worst and best dreams were all fulfilled as he saw her standing there.

She was just as beautiful as he remembered, as he _dreamed_. And just as young too. Her hair was shorter now, though, falling just a little past her shoulder in tight curls. And her eyes, those beautiful blue orbs that haunted him in his sleep, they were turning to look at him now.

_It's impossible… How…? _Klaus thought that he was perhaps dreaming; how else would she be here?

When her eyes met his, Klaus was filled with the sudden urge to run to her, scoop her up in his arms and take her away forever. As it was, however, the shock froze him completely and all he could do was look at her as she stared back at him in a painful horror; horror because to him she was simply Klaus the Original, not Lord Niklaus her love of times past.

_She doesn't remember me… and it is my fault._

"Caroline?" He finally asked, tone desperate to confirm that she was truly there in front of him, that this wasn't some imagined dream. Her eyes suddenly took a surprised light at the sound of her own name.

"You-You know me?" By gods, her _voice_, that heavenly voice; just hearing it once more made Klaus truly believe she was there; no one could copy that voice, not even his own subconscious. The way she almost stuttered reminded him of the first time they had met, and the months spent afterwards pursuing her. She'd been so sweet, innocent, at the time, but as time passed she grew fiercer and fiercer. She was all he could have asked for, an _equal_.

And he had given her _away_, for the sake of honor – of being selfless. Klaus had never before that moment been selfless. For the life of him, he couldn't remember what he had been thinking. He hadn't given her away once but _twice_; Klaus wasn't sure if he could do it again.

All he could think now, after seeing her, so close, so very close, was of the way they had danced back in the 20's, with abandon and joy. She may not have realized who he was, but, deep down, Klaus realized she did _know_ him; even _his_ compulsion hadn't been able to wipe that away.

So, Klaus decided to be selfish with her, just once more. He half-smiled at her, his head screaming at him to have some sense but his heart rejoicing, enjoying this, even if only for a moment. As if in a dream, he felt himself take a step closer.

"Tell me, love." He said, desperate to know if this was like in Chicago, desperate to know that she was not lost to him, despite his efforts to make it so. "Do I?"

Klaus knew he should simply leave, make a clean break, but he had never been particularly good at self-control, _especially_ when it came to one Caroline Forbes. He couldn't do it in the 1920's and he can't do it now.

How could he? He saw them dancing.

He waited with baited breath for her reply. He knew it was a long shot; after all, the Klaus she saw before her was an enemy to her. But, maybe, just maybe, she had seen the signs. Maybe she'd seen the signs that she had once been his, and that he was once hers…

He watched her eyes, the ones that he knew so well no matter how long it had been since he'd seen her.

"Yes." She finally said, allowing Klaus to let go of his nervous anticipation. "Yes, I think I do."

It was those words, those meager words, which broke the thin thread of control that Klaus had left.

He did something he had not done in near five centuries; he smiled.

"As I know you." He replied, allowing himself to approach her. He came closer until they stood almost nose-to-nose. He slowly lifted a hand, frowning slightly when she flinched. She seemed frozen in spot and Klaus was observant enough to notice that she seemed to be holding her breath, afraid to move.

She thought he would _harm_ her.

So Klaus decided to prove her wrong. He traced his thumb carefully across a delicate cheekbone, holding her eyes with his own, before twirling a single lock of her hair around his finger.

The shuddering gasp that went through Caroline made Klaus smirked; he was pleased he still had an effect on her.

It seemed as if an eternity passed as they stood there, frozen, just staring at one another. Klaus could barely believe this was happening; he had thought the last time he would ever see her was in the 1920's, that _that_ had been the true end of it. And when he had lost all track of her in the 30's…

But here they were, together at last. To Klaus, it seemed the world was not big enough to keep them apart.

So he continued to meet her eyes, her blue, blue eyes. Klaus was surprised when a sudden, unexpected surge of happiness went through; it was something naught felt in many years.

And then the moment broke when Klaus heard Katerina shifting about in the other room and he was brought back to reality in one harsh blow, the bitter reality that was whispering in his ear. This Caroline, beautiful and _real_ as she was, was not _his_ Caroline; he'd made sure of that. This was not the same woman whom had declared her love for him, the woman had gone from servant to lover… no, this Caroline was simply a shell of her former self.

And Klaus would make damn sure it stayed that way; she would never be safe otherwise.

He would become selfless again, only for a moment. He would let her go. Even if it pained him…

Knowing very well Katherine could overhear them, Klaus realized what he had to do. He could not appear weak, and Caroline, she could not know anymore than she already did. But he didn't have time to compel her in a careful manner, and he would not botch the job lest he leave her permanently damaged. And, if he stayed too long, his resolve would most assuredly crack. So he did something he knew he would regret forever from this moment on.

"I'm sorry." He whispered as her eyes looked up at him in question, a frightened light in them. _My Caroline would never be frightened of me, not after all we had been through…_ His eyes hardened. Suddenly, the hand that was in her hair pulled her head back and the other flashed to her throat. He snapped her neck in one quick blow, strength rippling through his arms, just like he had Damon.

Only, as Caroline began to fall, Klaus caught her, holding her familiar body securely in his arms, the guilt already eating her up. He picked her up gently and laid her on the couch, carefully arranging her so she was in a comfortable position. On the outside, he was sure he looked the picture of composure. The inside, however, was an entirely different matter.

He crouched beside her for a moment, knowing in his intuitive way that this would be the last time in a long while that he would see her like this, peaceful. He also knew that he could not avoid her forever, not anymore. No, the world was cruel that way. Soon enough, she would see him as a true enemy, just as her and the Gilbert girl's other friends would.

_Maybe this is my Caroline… _He quickly shook the thought away, denying. No, he could not allow himself to feel false hope. Fallacies such as that were for the young and foolish; Klaus was neither.

He touched his fingers to her cheek before leaning forward and laying a small kiss to her forehead.

_Goodbye, Caroline_, the voice in his mind, the voice of the man he could have been, whispered.

He called for one of the few servants he had left and told the young vampire to take Caroline someplace and keep her away until after the ritual; he could be distracted no longer. Not after the thousand-year long journey he had taken to get here.

As Caroline was no longer the woman she had been, he was no longer the man he used to be. No, Klaus was something else, a _monster; _one with no equal, not anymore. He would not allow this to slow him down. The monster in him could not be so easily wiped away as Caroline's memory.

He would break the curse, and he would do it tonight, just as he had planned.

He would show them _all_ what the most powerful Original did to those who displeased him.

As Klaus the monster smirked, he tried to ignore that little part inside of him that was screaming in agony, begging to be let free. He tried to ignore the beautiful blonde vampire on the couch and just what she had meant to him.

He tried to ignore the tiny speck of humanity left in him.

And Klaus knew only one way to do this. He would break the curse tonight and let the monster, the _real_ monster, free.

* * *

Caroline's world was a swirl black shadow, and the whispering of one word.

_Klaus._

* * *

Klaus watched as the Gilbert girl said goodbye to Stefan, anger boiling deep in his black soul. It was simply a reminder of what he no longer had, what he would never have again. He kept his face impassive, however, hiding his inner turmoil; emotion was a human folly, one that he refused to partake in. Instead, he stood serenely, holding his hands in front of him, much in the way a nobleman from many centuries past would.

Klaus yearned for the days of lords and ladies and servants…

"Close your eyes." Elena whispered, trying in vain to give Stefan some measure of comfort. Klaus was well aware that many would deem him cruel for ripping those two lovebirds apart, especially considering that Stefan was his once friend. The man himself, however, did not think his actions to be cruel. No, they were _merciful_, for love was a great weakness to vampires. He was saving his friend from the _pain_ love caused.

Soon enough, Stefan would forget his beloved little human because _she_ would be _gone_.

_He_ wouldn't be forced to think of the possibilities _everyday_ about what _might_ be, because _she _would be gone, not wandering the world unaware of events past.

The pain placed on Stefan's face would not last. Not like his own had.

As the Original continued to observe the couple with outward patience, he had to admit, the Gilbert girl garnered his respect somewhat. She wasn't screaming and begging for life like many had. No, she kept her dignity about her and was going to go on her terms.

This was something an age-old vampire like Klaus could respect.

It still did not stop him from taking what was rightfully his, however.

Elena was gone before Stefan could even open his eyes.

* * *

The euphoria of the kill made Klaus dizzy, proved to him he still had his strength to fall back on. It was the closeness of it, the _intimacy_, which thrilled Klaus. He held the wolf's heart in his hand, watching impassively as the light went out in her eyes. _One_, he thought.

He stood over the dais that Greta was using for the spell, holding the heart over it. The blood flowed through his fingers as he squeezed the heart in his hand; Klaus thought it was beautiful.

Soon enough, Klaus turned his eyes to his next victim. He had wanted to use Damon Salvatore as the vampire sacrifice, by when he saw the werewolf bite he knew that would be a much more painful end. Besides, the Gilbert girl's aunt added just the right amount of extra menace, a warning to the Salvatore's and their helpers to never cross him again. He ignored the slight twinge of pain in knowing that Caroline was among them.

Klaus didn't heed Elena's begging for mercy, mercy for her aunt. All he focused on was the next kill.

But then Elena's other half had to arrive and disturb his plans.

Stefan tried to convince Klaus to replace Jenna with himself. Klaus, of course, took the opportunity to add a little false hope; a hope he knew from personal experience was the most painful kind. He listened to his former friend's offer at being the vampire sacrifice; all the while knowing he would not accept it. He soon headed back to the spell-ground where Elena and Jenna were waiting in their circles of fire.

He mocked Elena, pretending that she had a choice in who would live and who would die. Of course, she realized that she was completely under _his_ control when he took that power of choice away from her and staked Stefan in the back, a few inches from his heart, so as to keep him alive but get him out of the way.

He had other plans for his old friend, after all. Perhaps his plans would also be a distraction from Stefan's eventual pain at losing Elena. Perhaps it would also be a distraction to Klaus, distancing himself from Caroline.

When Jenna was released from her prison of fire, she foolishly tried to kill Greta in an attempt to stop the ritual. She was but an infant compared to Klaus, however, and he was quick to end her, staking her through the heart. _Two,_ he thought.

Klaus felt the addictive rush that ran through him. He was purely in control. At this moment, he was the Gilbert girl's god; he chose when she would die.

It was an incomparable feeling.

In a phantom of courtesy, a mocking of who he used to be, Klaus offered Elena his hand. When she refused it and later told him to go to hell, Klaus couldn't help but have a little more respect for her, and he felt the anticipation of the next kill rise in him. He pulled her back to him, using his hand at her neck to bare her throat to him.

The blood that rushed into his mouth as he bit into the doppelgänger's veins made the monster inside him roar in pleasure. Soon he was holding her in what could have been a lover's embrace but was something much more deadly. It was only when the blood began to dry that he let her fall. _Three, _he thought.

_Finally…_

He began to feel the change in him, the one that had eluded him for a thousand years. The moon above him shined upon him.

There was a sudden pain, but not a bad one, but rather one of relief as his bones finally broke in the way that had been made to for nearly a millennium. He was brought to his knees as his vision changed into that of a wolf's, the breaking and shifting of his body weakening him. He snarled viciously as he stood upright once more, eagerly waiting for the moment where he would run on four legs.

And then he felt the wave of magic, more powerful than he had ever felt and he was flung across the grounds. He knew immediately whose magic it was.

Bonnie Bennet.

She was _alive_?

For once in his life, Klaus was not one step ahead, but rather one step behind. The euphoria he had felt before changed abruptly into unfamiliar panic.

He was vaguely aware of the appearance of Damon Salvatore as he snapped his own witch's, Greta's, neck, much like Klaus had snapped Damon's own.

"No." Klaus growled as the Bennet witch continued to approach, sending waves of painful magic at him. "You were dead!"

The Original let out a pained scream as the magic continued to abuse his body. He felt himself fading, fading away from life. He had not felt such a feeling since he had been turned into a vampire. As his vision shifted in and out, there was only one name on Klaus' mind.

_Caroline_.

He continued to scream incoherently as the red pain destroyed him from the inside out. He suddenly realized that he was truly not going to survive this, he was truly going to die.

In his mind the name still rang true; _Caroline, Caroline, Caroline…_

_Goodbye, my love._

As if the situation could not get any worse, Klaus saw someone that he thought would never show his face to him again. Not after his sudden departure back in the 1500s. Elijah. His own brother. His own _blood_.

"Elijah." Klaus said, watching as his long-estranged brother approached.

"Hello brother." Elijah replied, looking down at him.

For a second Klaus felt an unexpected surge of hope. Elijah was surely here to kill them all, all of his enemies. _Family above all_.

It only took Klaus the slightest moment to realize he was idiotically mistaken when Elijah's hand entered his chest, squeezing his heart. His brother had come here not rescue him but, rather, to ensure his death. Klaus had always hoped that perhaps one day he would see his brother again. After all, he had lost two important people to him in those long ago years. One he knew he could never return to, and another who had completely severed all ties to him.

Only, this reunion made him realize just how little he was cared for in the world.

It made Klaus angrier than ever.

"In the name of our family, Niklaus." Elijah pressed his hand down more, causing Klaus to yell out.

"I didn't bury them at sea." Klaus suddenly blurted out, knowing Elijah was exacting revenge because of the fact that Klaus had 'killed' the rest of their family.

"What?" Elijah asked, looking suddenly hesitant.

"Their bodies are safe." The now-hybrid knew this was his only chance at survival. "If you kill me, you'll never find them." He stated, locking eyes with his brother so that he could see the truth in them. As soon as he saw the consideration on Elijah's face, Klaus knew he had him.

"Elijah." He heard Stefan call. "Don't listen to him."

_Too late… _

"I can…" Klaus struggled for a moment, the words hard to say as the pain wracked through his body. "I can take you to them." He finally managed. And then he added the final words that he knew would make Elijah turn to his side. "I give you my _word_… brother."

Elijah was staring at him when the decision reached the elder Original's eyes and then Klaus knew he would live.

"Do it and I'll take you both out." Klaus distantly heard the Bennet witch say. He ignored it, choosing instead to continue to look at his brother, making sure that Elijah would stick to his decision.

"You'll die." Elijah replied.

"I don't care." The witched exclaimed.

Elijah glanced back down to Klaus for a moment, before nodding once, imperceptible to all but Klaus.

"I'm sorry." Elijah said whilst Klaus smirked. _Those fools…_ He was suddenly yanked up and his arm placed around his brother's familiar shoulders.

"No!" Came the anguished screams of Stefan and Bonnie.

It did not matter what the two did, the brothers were simple too fast and too powerful. Elijah and Klaus darted away as fast as they could, leaving nothing but dust and a devastated disappointment in their wake.

Klaus smiled to himself, triumphant.

_It is done_.

* * *

Later that night marked the first time Klaus ever ran as a wolf. As his four strong legs moved swiftly beneath him, Klaus felt the rising sense of power in him. He was finally all the he had been meant to be.

His plans were fulfilled.

He _was_ the Original hybrid, most powerful being to ever walk the earth.

He only wished _his _Caroline had been there to share this with him.

**So, that's Klaus' POV for you; this entire chapter was entirely set in the second season's finale, which, I think, was the most important turning point for the show. It was where Klaus was introduced!**

**Next chapter: Finishing season two, moving into season three and, what will Caroline do with this new information about her past?**

**Anyways, I wish you all a happy new year! Let's make 2013 a great year for klaroline ;) Thanks for reading!**

**RW**


	9. The Restless

**Thank you to EternalLoveDreamer, Canyounotlikeseriously, suka27, TopazDragon, Runaway'96, Paradisa arabella, ignore common sense, Sci-fi Christian, OKBooey31, angel1725, Clara, babyvfan, InuGnome17, Lovely Rain Dancer, chillwithJyl, BlueJean452, PsychVamp, MarsterRoo, justine, Sunfiresarah, BiancaR, Klaroline23, carasedrin, CinderNella, LorenaLaufey, and LadyKlaus for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TVD, won't own TVD. Ever.**

Chapter Eight

The Restless

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

When Caroline woke up, it seemed like any other day. She was lying in her bed at home, snug under the covers. Everything seemed all right… It was only a moment later, however, when the past day's events came back to her.

She immediately shot up in her bed, her hands flying to her neck, where she knew a different pair of hands had been.

"_I'm sorry."_

Klaus. She knew Klaus. Oh Lord, she knew Klaus. How-? When-? Caroline was vaguely aware that she was driving herself into a panic. Is this what she had been searching for all those years?

How could this _be? _

But then, she supposed she should have seen it sooner. All the signs were there, Katherine's little comments, the vague flashes. Why didn't she see it before?

Caroline knew Klaus. She knew that now. But, what did it mean?

_He knew me. He knew my name. And the way he looked at me… like he saw a ghost._

He had snapped her neck. This she also knew. But why? Why would he not just kill her? Why did he do any of it? Why had he asked her that stupid question about knowing him in the first place? Why had he confirmed that he knew her? Why _had_ he snapped her neck?

But, most of all, why had he said sorry? Klaus, from what she heard of him, was unremorseful. Evil. So why would he be sorry? Why would he be sorry and tell _her_ of all people?

Caroline begun to get the feeling that she had more then just known him. _Were we friends?_

There was also one other major thing that kept running through her head.

What did it all mean?

_Why can't I remember? Hasn't more than four hundred years of not knowing been enough? Don't I deserve to know? I can't keep living like this. I need to know._

She knew Klaus.

Klaus.

Klaus, the vampire, the _Original,_ who had been hunting for her best friend all of his long life. Klaus, who was more than 1,000 bloody years old. Klaus, who killed and slaughtered and took life without a second thought. Klaus, the enemy.

Klaus, the one who had looked at her with those blue, blue eyes of his filled with something that Caroline denied.

Klaus, who had snapped her neck, right after doing the same to her friend.

Suddenly, it occurred to Caroline that she had not been the only one to see the man. _Damon… _She stood abruptly, her heart quickening in panic. _He was bitten! A werewolf bit him!_

_Is he okay? Is he still alive? _Caroline and Damon had had their rough moments, but she still considered him to be one of her friends, and she was short on those these days. _He can't be dead, can he? After he all and his brother have been through…_

_And what about Elena? The sacrifice was going to happen and I've been out of commission all this time… _Tears suddenly rose to her eyes. _Is Elena dead too? Could I have helped her? Saved her?_

_No… no… I can't lose her too. She was the first human to ever accept me. Elena is too _good_ to die._

Caroline found herself using her vampiric speed to travel through her house, to the front door.

_I need to find out what happened… I need to be there for Stefan if they both really did… _She gulped.

_I can't think about Klaus now. I can't be that selfish._

_My friends need me and I… I need them too._

Caroline ran as fast as she could, not caring who saw her. Now was not the time for that. She _needed_ to know.

* * *

The first people Caroline ran into were, oddly enough, Bonnie and Jeremy. They were in the town square, watching _Gone With The Wind_. When they noticed her approach, both immediately stood with relief on their faces. Bonnie ran up to her and pulled her into a hug, whilst Jeremy graced her with a small smile.

"Thank God, you're okay, Caroline." Bonnie said. "Damon told us you went in with him, but that you weren't there when he woke up. We thought that you ran off again… or…" Bonnie looked upset for a moment, before she smiled at her again. "But you're okay so…"

"Yeah, I'm fine." The blonde confirmed. "What about you guys? The others? What _happened?_" At this Bonnie and Jeremy exchanged a look, causing Caroline's curiosity to rise.

"We're fine." Bonnie replied, before looking down… "Except, Jenna… she…"

"What do you mean?" Her heart began quickening its beat again.

"Klaus went through with the sacrifice." The witch met her eyes. "We managed to save Elena, but, Klaus – he used Jenna as the vampire sacrifice."

_No… no…_

"You mean…? She's…?" Her hands flew to her mouth as the horrible realization set in.

"Yeah. Jenna's dead." Jeremy said suddenly, his eyes full of anger. "My sister nearly died too. Everyone did." His gaze was accusatory. "Where were _you_?" For a moment it seemed like Bonnie was going to speak up for Caroline, but then she also glanced at the vampire, her gaze suspicious. Caroline felt her stomach sink, her earlier guilt amplifying.

"I'm sorry." She whispered. "Klaus snapped my neck. I was out for the count." She turned to meet both their eyes. "I should have been there. I should have… I am so sorry." When she looked back to Jeremy, she noticed his anger had faded and turned into an inconsolable grief. _He's lost so many people… _"Oh, Jeremy…" She gripped his hand for a moment, causing him to look at her in surprise. "I wish you didn't need to go through this again…"

For a moment neither said anything. They didn't know each other that well. To Caroline, he was only Elena's kid brother and to Jeremy, she was Elena's best friend, her _vampire _friend. But they both had something in common; they both loved and lost. Not only that, Jeremy had been the only one to understand her pain when they both lost Anna.

So, the least Caroline could do was show that he was _not_ alone.

After another moment, Jeremy offered her another small smile, an apology in his eyes and Caroline knew that they would both be alright. She squeezed his hand once more before letting go.

"If Klaus snapped your neck and you were right there, then why didn't he just use you?" Bonnie suddenly said, her brow crunched in confusion.

"I…" Caroline hesitated. _Should I tell them what I found out? Should I put that burden on them? Should I tell them Klaus knows me? Can I let them know that, if I were another vampire, maybe Jenna would be alive? That Klaus could have easily used me? _She looked at Jeremy again, the boy who had lost so much. _No, _she decided_, they have more than enough on their plates. _"I don't know."

Bonnie met her eyes and Caroline gazed back calmly. _Come on, don't bring it up, just believe me_. Eventually the witch looked away, but not before she gave Caroline a questioning glance; she obviously got the feeling that the vampire knew more than she was letting on.

"And Damon? Stefan?" Caroline changed the subject. "Are they good?"

Bonnie glanced at Jeremy for a second, as if hesitant to say what she had to say in front of him.

"Bonnie?" She asked again. "Are they okay? Did Damon-?"

"No." The brunette shook her head. _Oh, thank the lord…_"Not yet, anyways. But Stefan, he went to look for a cure. He was desperate, and I helped him by contacting the spirits. I had no idea they would give me what they did, otherwise-"

"Where did he go, Bonnie?" Caroline interrupted her, her voice almost deadly calm, hiding the utter panic she was feeling inside.

"Klaus. He went to Klaus."

Caroline's heart dropped completely, eyes widening.

_Damn it._

* * *

Caroline was hesitant when she entered the very same apartment that had led to one of the biggest revelations in her life for a second time. The first thing she saw was Stefan, desperately gulping down blood bags, his vampire face frightening even to her. _Oh, Stef, what did he do to you? _She stared at him for a moment longer when her eyes met ones that she hated.

_Katherine_.

The odd thing was that, for once, the brunette didn't glare at her, or even give her a nasty look. No, instead, she was looking at her as if to say _you should have stayed away._ Caroline did not heed her warning. Katherine looked back to the Salvatore, her gaze inexplicably saddened by the sight of him drinking the blood.

Finally, her eyes settled on the center of all her problems, all _their_ problems. He was facing away from her, seemingly looking intently at Stefan as he suckled down the bag of blood.

"Finish it. All of it." Klaus said, his voice urging the other vampire on, a dangerous edge to it. "You do everything I say, and I save your brother. That's the deal."

_So that's why Stefan is drinking it. I have to put a stop to it._

"No!" She exclaims, causing Stefan to look at her in surprise, only just realizing she was there through his blood-filled haze. "You don't have to do this Stef, _he _can't _make_ you." She glared at Klaus, who, for his part, just turned around slowly, not at all shocked at her appearance. His face was a mask, unreadable, and, for some unknown reason, this made her sad.

"Ah, there you are, love." He smirked at her, his eyes dancing dangerously. "I was wondering when you would make your presence known to us." _He's known I was here this entire time? _Her gaze hardened. _Of course. This is Klaus, not some baby vampire._

"Well, here I am." She replied, her voice strong though her insides were tumbling in nervousness.

"So I see." He sat back down with a sigh, leaning his elbows on the bar top, and taking a swig from his drink. No one did anything in that moment, everyone wondering at how things were going to go. Stefan met Caroline's eyes for a slight second, his gaze panicked and confused.

_Sorry, Stef, _she thought,_ I couldn't let you do this on your own_.

"Now, pray tell, why are you here?" He glanced at her, his eyes burning holes into her soul. Just as she was about to answer, the Original held up a hand. "Wait, let me guess, you are here to convince me to let your little friend go. Well, I shall have to tell you now, sweetheart, your friend and I have a deal; even you, for all your will, cannot break that."

Caroline felt the disappointment immediately; she'd known it was only a small chance but, now, he'd already turned her down. _How can it be that I know this monster?_

She looked back to Stefan who had returned to drinking the blood in his hands, the scent becoming too much for him. _I have to do something._

"What if I made a deal?" Klaus continued looking at her, his gaze dissecting her, trying to find any evidence of foul play. She met his eyes head on, not allowing herself to back down.

They were so eerily familiar, and they made her insides do this odd dance; it frightened her. _I really do know him… But how? He's the most powerful vampire, no, the most powerful creature on the planet and _I _know him._

_How? How do I know this monster?_

"Intriguing." Klaus stated, his voice gruff. Caroline felt herself hope for a moment, _maybe I'll be able to save Stefan and Damon after all…_ "But, I'm afraid I will have to decline, despite the temptation."

"Why?" She demanded, forgetting for a moment just _who_ she was talking to, her frustration over-taking the bigger part of her that was ringing warning bells. "Is it because you _know_ me?"

There was silence all around. She felt Stefan's shocked gaze on her. Heck, she even felt Katherine looking at her in surprise.

Caroline looked at neither of them, saving her gaze for only one. Klaus.

He stood slowly, approaching her like the hunter does the hunted. When he stood before her, they were so close that their breath mingled together. At this distance she could see all the flecks and shades of blue in his eyes, the intelligence and age in them. He raised a hand and placed it on her cheek; she tried not to flinch away.

The disconcerting thing was, this touch was familiar, just as _he_ was.

"Just as sharp as always." He said, his voice low as he continued to burn through her. She felt her breath catch. And then, just as abruptly as he stood before her, he turned away. "And just as naïve." As he was walking away, Caroline let go of all the inhibition and warnings and used her speed to appear in front of him. However, when she got there, he was already gone, and was behind her. _He's so fast, _she thought in wonderment.

One of his arms held her hands against her chest, whilst the other was under her chin, pulling her back so that her throat was exposed. _He's strong, too strong. _She felt his breath against her ear, causing a shiver to run through her spine.

"You forget yourself, _Caroline_." The way he said her full name made her almost shrink. _I am going to die. This is the end._ "I could kill you now. It would be so easy, just one bite… But I will not…" And then the strangest thing happened; he let her go. Caroline was quick to put some distance between the two of them. When she looked back at him, she found him staring at her again. _Why? Why would he let me live? And for the second time?_

_Why can't I just remember?_

"I have been merciful to you, you should be grateful." He stated.

"_Merciful?_" She asked, incredulously. _How is this merciful? Leaving me the dark, never knowing… _"Why won't you tell me how I know you?" She demanded. "You told me you know me but you won't tell me how. I _need_ to know."

"You're treading dangerously, love. I would _hold_ your tongue." His voice was angry now, his glare fierce. Only when it seemed like Caroline would do nothing more against him did Klaus turn away again, sliding another bag of blood towards Stefan.

"No." She whispered, causing Klaus to freeze and Katherine to look at her as if she lost her mind. "No." This time her voice was strong, a stubborn edge to it as Klaus looked to her. "You cannot control me."

This comment seemed to get to him as the Original's gaze turned into some akin to wonderment and recognition. For a moment, he was completely open to her, and Caroline could see the same look as the one he had given before; the one he'd shown her when he first saw her… The look she wanted nothing more than to deny.

And then he was closed again, like the locking of chest.

"No." He said. "No, but then I never have." _What does he mean by _that_?_ "I'm sorry, love, but there is nothing you can offer as you are now. I will honor the deal with your friend and give you the cure and that is where our interaction will end."

"I won't do it." Caroline insisted. There was no way in hell she was going anywhere without Stefan.

"Oh, but you will, sweetheart." His smirk was mocking. He then beckoned Katherine over and handed her a vile with what looked like blood. _That must be the cure_. "Take this and bring it to Damon and make sure _she_ goes with you. I want her gone." _I'll be too weak to fight her off, she's older than me and I haven't fed recently enough to have a chance, _Caroline realized in defeat. She met Stefan's eyes again, her gaze speaking miles of apologies and guilt, when she noticed Klaus suddenly grabbing Katherine by the throat, choking her. "But do _not_ harm her." He warned the brunette vampire, growling, his compulsion running through other vampire. Caroline watched on wide-eyed and confused; _do not harm me?_

"You want me to leave?" Katherine asked once he let her go, her voice slightly hoarse as she fought for her breath.

"Yes." Klaus confirmed.

As soon as the word left his mouth, Katherine was up and out the door, only stopping to drag Caroline out with her. For a moment, she tried to fight but Katherine was too strong. _He_ was too strong. They were all too strong.

And she was too weak.

* * *

Caroline waited until Katherine gave Damon the cure to confront the other vampire, standing outside the elder Salvatore's bedroom as she did so. In all honesty, she thought that she would never figure out the enigma that is Katherine Pierce. Every time she thought she had the brunette pinned down, she threw her for another loop. Don't get Caroline wrong, she still hated the bitch, but she was curious too. _Why would she follow Klaus' orders when she was on vervain? Why not just hurt me like she'd always wanted?_

Just then Katherine exited Damon's bedroom and Caroline pushed away from where she was leaning against the wall.

"Why did you do it?" She asked, getting straight to the point.

"Why did I do _what?" _Katherine turned, flicking long brown curls over one shoulder.

"Don't play stupid. We both know I don't buy it." Caroline stated with a sigh. "Why didn't you just escape right away? You had your freedom."

"And what makes you think _I _would tell _you_?" At this the blonde vampire smirked mockingly back at the brunette.

"Oh, I don't know." Caroline approached Katherine until she stood right in front of her, arms crossed. "It might have something to do with the fact that you could attack me _right now_, probably kill me too, and you aren't. I wonder, why _is_ that?"

"Why would I when you are doing just fine on your own?" The brunette scoffed. "It's just so much more entertaining to see you and your Klaus tear each other apart; it's better than anything I could've done to you." With that Katherine turned to leave.

"Wait!" Caroline suddenly called, running after her and grabbing her arm. "You know who I was. _Tell me._" She commanded, tightening her grip unconsciously as her desperation to know shone through. Katherine, for her part, merely narrowed her eyes into slits and used her other hand to pry Caroline's off her arm. The blonde vampire visibly winced at the iron grip.

"No." Katherine hissed before releasing Caroline and blurring away so fast that she couldn't be caught.

Caroline could only watch her go. She had had all the answers, and now she lost them.

She found herself leaning against the wall, sliding down so she was seated on the floor, her head in her hands. What was she even doing? She wasn't able to help _anyone _not even herself. First she wasn't there during the sacrifice, then Jenna died in her place, then she tries to save Stefan but that doesn't go well either… And now, now she only has half-bits of information to a past which she cannot remember.

The only remotely good thing that has happened is that at least Damon is well and alive.

Even that wasn't by her doing though. No, that was all Stefan. And, as selfish as it sounded, part of Caroline wished he had never been so noble and left for the sake of his brother. Part of her wished he was like every other cowardly person on the planet and just saved himself. Now, that was not because she wished to see Damon suffer, it was because she just _really _wanted her best and oldest friend with her now.

She needed him here because, right now, nothing was concrete in her life anymore. Everything had gone to crap but she _had _to keep it together for every one else and the _one person_ who she could've opened up to was just… gone.

She just wished he was here so he could tell her that, hey, it would be all right _bella_… She just wished she could believe that again. She wished everything would be all right.

But it wouldn't and nothing would ever be the same anymore.

Soon enough, Caroline felt tears coming out of her eyes, the exhaustion and pain of it all finally getting to her. _Why is all of this happening to me?_ Her tears turned to sobs and, though she tried, she couldn't stop them from coming. She wasn't sure how long she cried but eventually she was joined by Elena who put her around and pulled her in close.

As Caroline heard her friend's human heart beating, she couldn't help but feel that Elena was lucky.

She still believed that everything was going to be all right.

It wasn't.

* * *

The summer months passed by in a blur but, in that time, Caroline had come to a decision. She wouldn't allow herself to be controlled by her fear and her confusion any more. She needed to step up and _be there._

Stefan may not be with them for a long while but the others were, and they needed her help.

Still, most of her time spent over their holidays was helping Elena and Damon look for the missing Salvatore. Caroline, despite her extreme motivation, hadn't even looked more into her past. No, she decided to put the others before her.

The past is gone now and, until things have calmed down, she should put it behind her.

There was one thing that kept back into her head, though.

Or, well, one _person_.

Klaus.

_How could I know that monster?_

**Sorry for the long wait for this update; I was writing a few other things, including a couple of klaroline one-shots and a new klaroline multi fic (thanks for all the ideas, btw!). But, anyways, I just wanted to reassure you all that despite the fact that I won't be only focusing on this story anymore, this fic will have priority over everything else. I mean you guys have stuck around for a sequel and I don't want to leave you hanging :)**

**I actually got kind of nostalgic in this chapter because, part of me, feels like it was kind TLTLB reminiscent, like, you know, when Caroline saw Klaus kill the spy girl and stuff…. Yeah, sometimes I miss writing 1500s… I guess it'll be flashback time soon ;)**

**Next chapter: More Klaus' POV and some **_**actual **_**season 3 ;)**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	10. Closer, Closer Still

**Thank you to **_**Guest **_**(x2), CharlSmith, shadowfaxangel, Cridward2012, shadowscraving, Siren's Fire, 13melisa, Sunfiresarah, LorenaLaufey, SweetyK, Sci-fi Christian, Clara, justine, OKBooey31, PenelopeSuriCUTE, **_**Guest**_**, Lal, oyj1703 (x2), I Love All Books TVD Klaroline, PsychVamp, drewwnesss, InuGnome17, babyvfan, batgirl2992, Lovely Rain Dancer, CinderNella, ignore common sense, BiancaR, MarsterRoo, HotHybridSex, BlueJean452, and Runaway'96 for reviewing!**

**This chapter was definitely one of my favorites, if not my favorite, that I have written in this 'verse! Hehe, I am actually kind of nervous what everyone will think of it.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TVD.**

Chapter Nine

Closer, Closer Still

_Dover, England 1560_

"Nik?" Rebekah asked as she entered his chambers. She had only just received the news of what had happened and had ridden to her brother's estate as fast as she could. The entire Forbes family. _Slaughtered._ Rebekah was not one to get upset over the deaths of humans but for the _Forbes _family to have to die… She was only relieved that both Richard and Caroline managed to avoid it.

"Nik?" She called again, looking around, finding nothing. _Where is he? _The servants had said that he had yet to leave his rooms, but she supposed no human could truly track. Sighing, she went off in search of the one place Niklaus would be, the place he always was during times of high distress; his studio.

When she found his studio, Rebekah was relieved to see that she had been correct in her assumptions.

"Nik." The odd thing was, he wasn't painting or sketching or anything of the like, as she thought he would have been. No, he was simply sat there, his head in his hands, hair disheveled. All around him were his art supplies and various pieces of work. Only, they weren't strewn on tables or on easels as they usually were. Instead they were thrown all over. Glass jars were shattered, paintings were torn in half. Rebekah tried to contain her worry, but it was in vain.

She hadn't seen her brother such a mess since Katerina.

She was hesitant as she approached him, stepping carefully around the broken objects that covered the floor. Once she stood in front of him, she gently tapped his shoulder. This seemed to bring him back to life as he suddenly stood up, bewildered. Now that Rebekah was closer, she could see just how tired, _broken_ Niklaus looked. Broken like the things on the floor.

"Niklaus?" He didn't reply. "Brother?" She tried again. This time he glanced down at her, his eyes dark and full of turmoil. "What is the matter?" She looked around, finally noticing just what was missing. "And where is Caroline?"

"Gone." Nik growled out, his voice haggard. He looked away from his sister, his eyes far off.

"What do you mean _gone_?" Rebekah could feel her stomach sinking. _Please tell me you didn't…_

"I _mean_ I sent her away." He yelled, turning an angry gaze on her before sitting back down in the same position as before.

"Oh, Nik." She whispered. "What did you do?" _Do not tell me you have decided that now, of all times, was the moment to begin being honorable?_

"I did what's best." He replied, his voice barely reaching her ears. "I sent her away."

Rebekah, not knowing what to do, simply placed her hand on his shoulder, trying, in some small measure, to provide comfort. She knew it wouldn't do any good, either way.

_Oh, you poor, poor fool._

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

Rebekah sighed as she made her way into the high school, her annoyances a mile high. Honestly, why didn't Stefan just tell her and her brother that the doppelgänger was still alive? Oh, right, because he _loved_ the girl. Rebekah tried to ignore the sting she felt knowing that he had never truly loved _her_ that way.

Well, at least now all would be taken care of. She was going to help Nik in his little mission and, after that, they could both leave and Rebekah would never have to look at another doppelgänger again.

Unfortunately, as she just realized when she heard the voice echoing down the halls, she would first have to face someone she really didn't think was a good idea to see again. Rebekah had been their the first time Klaus lost Caroline, she wasn't sure any of them could take it again. Yet, some small part of her couldn't help but wonder what she was like now. Had she changed as much as Stefan? Though she'd never say it out loud, Caroline had been a sister to her at one point, albeit a very distant sort of sister, and Rebekah would be… _disappointed_ if the other blonde vampire lost her spark.

She sighed, but followed the voice, anyways.

"_I'm worried about Matt, he hasn't been himself, you know?"_

Rebekah soon rounded a corner and found the owner of the voice standing next to an unfamiliar male. _There you are, Caroline_. Already, she could see the small differences that age had brought to the Forbes vampire. The naïveté she had formerly had was all gone now, replaced with a sort of wisdom.

"My, my." Rebekah found herself saying. "Look who's all grown up! Though, I have to ask, Caroline, what _have_ you done to your hair?" The Original smirked, crossing her arms. The other vampire, for her part, looked at Rebekah with an incredulous expression, shocked how that she was able to sneak up on them.

"Do we know you?" She asked, cautiously. _Well, at least she's finally learned… _Rebekah thought, remembering all those times when Caroline had ignored the fact that her brother was dangerous and simply gone ahead with her heart. _I hope she's not a bore now though…_

"No, but _you_ used to." Rebekah sighed before giving a slight shrug. "But I suppose that's all ruined now, isn't it? No matter, there are other things that must be attended to." She now looked at the one standing next to Caroline, her gaze scrutinizing him. "You're Tyler, the werewolf." She stated with a self-assured smile. _Well, found what I was looking for…_ She glanced back to the other blonde for a brief moment. _I'll have to take them both down,_ she noted, a small tone of regret in her thoughts.

"Wait, who are you exactly?" Caroline asked, suspicious now as she shifted so she was in front of her little werewolf friend.

_I bet she knew Nik by his reputation alone, _Rebekah thought sulkily, _no one knows how to identify class anymore… _Instead of voicing all of this, however, the Original simply smirked eerily like her brother.

"You'll find out soon enough." Then her fangs descended and her lips widened. "I'm sorry for this, my sweet." She added before darting forward and sinking her teeth into Caroline's throat.

* * *

Klaus smirked as he introduced his sister to the Gilbert girl and her little friends. Things were finally going according to plan. Now that he knew what had caused his failure in turning the wolves, he could fix it. _Stefan really should not have thought he could lie to me…_ Still, he supposed he had had some revenge when he went about breaking the younger Salvatore's neck over and over. And then Rebekah wanted to have her revenge as well… His sister, always so fickle.

Things were finally going to plan and Klaus was feeling triumphant. The witch would figure out how to fix his little hybrid problem and they could be on their merry way. So, yes, he was feeling the energy of it all, sinister as it was.

That is, until Rebekah told him about _her_.

"Caroline's here." She spoke to him softly, as they were sat in the bleachers of the Mystic Falls High gym. He froze from where he was observing the proceedings on the gym floor. He didn't move to look at his sister though, refusing to let her see any sort of weakness.

"Is that right?" He asked lowly, trying to keep his voice even. A small part of him had hoped he would see her again when he came to town. Another, larger part, wasn't quite sure what to do with this information. He didn't want to see her and yet he did. Was she still his Caroline? _Is she still my Caroline?_ That thought had been flying around in his head ever since he had left Mystic Falls a few months previous.

"You could have warned me she might be here, Nik. All I knew was that she was in Mystic Falls, I didn't even know she was allied with doppelgänger!" Rebekah hissed, annoyance in her voice.

"Come now, sister, what would be the _fun_ in that?" Klaus replied automatically, though even he could tell his voice was too tense to be believable. Luckily, Rebekah decided to let it slide and just scoffed; Klaus surely wasn't up for any of her tantrums.

_Of course Caroline would be here tonight. Of course I can't avoid her. _His thoughts were scathing as he continued to look upon and the witch and the doppelganger along with their friends panic when they looked at the very dead (for now) Tyler. Caroline was never one to stand back he supposed. No, that would make her even less her.

"What did you do with her?" Klaus suddenly asked, finally turning to glance at his younger sister.

"I had to put her down momentarily." When the hybrid glared angrily, Rebekah simply rolled her eyes. "Come on, Nik, what else could I do? I could hardly _stake_ her."

Well, she _does_ have a point.

"At least tell me you put her somewhere safe."

"Safe as she can be here." She replied promptly.

Despite this knowledge, Klaus couldn't help the near growl that bubbled from his throat. He heard Rebekah sigh, annoyed, in reply.

_Why did she have to be here today? I can't afford distraction…_

_Then it's time to speed up the plan._

He looked back to Rebekah and nodded, causing her to smile predatorily. He felt himself give her a sinister smirk in return.

_Let's go._

* * *

Klaus walked into the classroom without so much a glance in her direction. No distractions, even if it was a beautiful and tempting one. It pained him that she was so close and yet so far.

_You could end this all now. Give her back her memory. Bring back your Caroline._ That tiny voice in the corner of his head kept telling him. But, no, he wouldn't. He had already sworn to himself and he couldn't break that promise, no matter how much he wanted to.

He quickly explained to Rebekah the solution to his hybrid problem, still not looking, not wanting to know what he would see there. Rebekah immediately understood what she had to do, though, and grabbed Caroline, making sure that he could do what was necessary. What was best…

He gave Tyler Elena's blood and watched.

Only, as he watched he could hear Caroline screaming, protesting. His heart, black though it was, could hardly bear it. It reminded him too much of that awful night that he lost everything he held dear. That awful night he let it all go. So he turned to her and met her eyes for a brief night, only to see the pain there that he wanted her to avoid. So, surprising even himself, he gestured for Rebekah to let her go.

And then he stepped forward and took his sister's place. He pulled Caroline tightly into him, holding her still so she could not intervene. He tried to ignore the familiar feeling of her body and the feeling of _home_ that came with it.

"It's going to be ok, sweetheart." He whispered to her, looking down at her as he held her hands trapped against her stomach. Her eyes were glued to the wolf boy struggling on the floor. He tried to ease the pained light in her eyes, his hand subconsciously stroking her arm in some rare form of comfort. He felt her relax the tiniest bit. "It's going to be ok." He reassured, his voice a whisper.

It was only when he heard her gasp that he looked away from her voice. His eyes met the golden ones of the now fanged boy and Klaus smirked. _Yes._

"Now, _that_…" He whispered to her. "…is a good sign."

_It worked._

He looked away from his first hybrid only to find that Caroline was now staring at him. Her eyes were surprisingly without anger. They were confused, yes, and somewhat desperate. But there was also a curious light there, an edge of wonderment there.

He knew in that moment that soon he would not be able to resist any longer. He needed to get out of there and so he, finally, let her go.

"Until next time, love." He stated quietly, his eyes still on hers. Then he suddenly turned and, grabbing the rest of Elena's blood, blurred away, his sister following close behind.

* * *

It was only a few days later that, Caroline, having spent a week in deep contemplation mixed with a perpetual state of freaking out, went home to find Elena and Bonnie seated in her living room, looking at her as if they were about to interview her for a job. At the morgue.

"Hey guys, what's up?" She asked, looking at her friends with caution, putting her bag slowly down at the floor. She hung her coat up on the rack before looking back at them, crossing her arms. "Is it my birthday or something? Seriously, what's going on and why do you both look like someone kicked your puppy?" She tried to diffuse the tension with humor but failed miserably as they continued with their serious looks.

"Sorry for springing on you like this, Care." Elena broke their silence. The brunette smiled at the blonde in a comforting sort of way, but her eyes expressed a worry that could not be ignored.

"OK guys, you're starting to freak me out. Tell me what's going on." She sat down in one of the sofas, leaning her elbows on her knees.

"Why don't you tell _us_, Caroline?" Bonnie replied sharply, her eyes narrowing.

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" She replied, affronted.

"I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the fact that you have been hiding the fact that _you_ know _Klaus_." The accusing tone in Bonnie's stung Caroline. _I knew I should have just told her sooner…_

"Oh." Was the oh-so-eloquent reply she came up with. She couldn't deny it.

"Yeah, _oh_." Bonnie's reply was scathing and Elena looked at her as if to say _that's enough, _before glancing back to Caroline with a question in her eyes.

"Look, it's not what you think…" She started, uneasily. How on earth was she supposed to explain this? "I mean, I didn't even know that I knew Klaus until a few months ago."

"Your memory…" Elena whispered, immediately making the connection.

"Yeah." When Caroline confirmed it she saw their looks begin to turn a little guilty.

"You should've told us Caroline." Bonnie sighed, her voice still somewhat apprehensive. "You left us in the dark for months and you've been acting weird. We thought… I don't know, we thought it was all just getting to be too much for you."

"We were worried about you." The other brunette added in, reaching forward to place her hand on Caroline's.

"I'm sorry. It's just, we were all going through enough crap without me adding my issues to it. I couldn't put that on you." She admitted.

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" _Seriously? Come on Bonnie, that's _such_ a clichéd line! _

"Look, I really am sorry." Caroline started, getting angry now, frustrated because they didn't know what hell it had been for her lately. "But I needed time to figure it all out. Don't you realize how scared I've been? How confused? Klaus, the Original, the freakin' daddy hybrid _knows_ me. I mean, he has let me live I don't even know how many times and the way he talks to me, _looks_ at me… And, he is _so_ familiar. It's like the person you knew and you just can't place them." She knew she was panicking as she stood, but, _damn it_, she needed to rant. The emotions had been inside her for so long and she just need to let them out. "I would give _anything_ to remember but every lead I get it is either a dead end or goes straight back to Klaus and he won't tell me crap, okay? So I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, I was too freaking busy going insane because I can't put the pieces together!"

Finally Caroline stopped, taking a deep breath and a moment to calm herself down. When she took in her friends' shocked faces, she decided she better do some damage control.

"Sorry… I just… Sorry…" She flopped back into the sofa with a heavy sigh.

"It's okay, Care." Elena was the first to talk, looking slightly ashamed of herself. "We shouldn't have doubted you. I'm just sorry you've been going through this on your own… We should've been there for you." Bonnie nodded in agreement, her eyes swimming a bit as the guilt shone through.

"No, no, you guys are the best friends I could ask for." Caroline reassured quietly. They were her best friends, mortal friends that is. And she couldn't be more grateful to have them.

"From now on though, we won't be so quick to jump to conclusions and maybe you should tell us how you are every once in a while." Elena replied with a soft smile.

"Yeah." She chuckled self deprecatingly back. "Thanks you guys… Now what do you say we put away all the drama for a night and-"

"-slumber it out?" Bonnie guessed with a laugh, taking the words right of the vampire's mouth. "Well, I'm up for it. It's been _way_ too long since we've had a girl's night."

"Definitely." Elena smirked.

"Great!" Caroline enthused, locking her worry away for the moment. "I got a bunch of new DVDs I haven't seen yet…"

As they looked her extensive DVD collection, Caroline couldn't help but notice how relieved she felt finally getting all of that off her chest. If only the rest was so easy.

* * *

Caroline had never been a big fan of witchcraft. She saw its uses and all, but in her experience, there were always way too many complications and consequences that came with it. And now with the ghosts in town, well, it was safe to say that she was _not_ feeling safe. She loved Bonnie but after she sent Vicky away, she just made a whole mess of things and now she has given _all_ the ghosts in Mystic Falls physical presence.

Sometimes Caroline felt like she was the only one that could see the danger of it all. Spells and magic and the like.

Still, that didn't mean she didn't see how happy Bonnie was when her Grams appeared. So, Caroline, being the friend she was, decided to give them some room, and was currently sitting outside 'the creepy old house' as she liked to call it. She remembered a time, though, when a house like this would have been taken care of. It would have been painted white, she imagined, with blue shutters, and a family of wealth would have lived there.

Living as long as she did, she was sad to see how things could change and wither away so quickly. Sometimes, though very rarely, Caroline wished she could remember _less_, still have some of the innocence and optimism her friends did.

There were times, all those years ago, that she had lived in houses like these. In moments like these, however, that she missed those days. Not only the whole ghost thing but… well, _everything. _All of their issues were crashing into their lives and shattering them, unraveling them. And at the center of them was Klaus

Klaus was a wrecking force, she had decided.

Just look at Stefan. Her oldest friend had turned off his humanity and it devastated Caroline. At first, she had been happy to have him back in town but then she realized. He wasn't the same man who called her _bella _or was always there to comfort her. He wasn't even the same guy who had gone off the rails in the twenties. No, this version of Stefan was completely different. Cruel to a point she thought him incapable of.

There had only ever been one person that could fix Stefan when he was like this, and that was Lexi.

Caroline liked to think she was a tough cookie, that it took a lot to make her flinch and back down. Seeing her friends tortured into submission was one of those rare things that she could do that. She could _keep_ Stefan on track fine, but getting him there? That had always been Lexi's job. And with good reason.

She just wished Stefan was Stefan. They needed him. Damon was trying his best at being the good Salvatore but they all knew that even he needed Stefan back to refill the role.

It wasn't only Damon that needed him, though. She needed him too.

He was the closest thing she had to a brother, after all, and she needed that brother desperately.

Suddenly, as she was thinking, a person just _materialized_ in front of her. Caroline was immediately ripped from her thoughts and stood up, ready to attack. She lunged, opting to act first and ask questions laters. Only, when she lunged, he suddenly disappeared again, only to reappear right behind her.

"What the hell?" She exclaimed, turning to face him.

One thing was sure, this man was most definitely _not_ alive. If the whole disappear-reappear act wasn't enough proof, then the clothing sure gave a clue as she scrutinized him, tense in her spot. He wore an old-fashioned doublet that fell open slightly at his throat, the fell blue color bringing out even bluer eyes and making his brown curls look darker in comparison. If she had to guess, she's say his attire was from around the 16th century.

If that wasn't a big enough of clue that something was out of place, though, then scars that marred his throat were. They were scars that only _fangs_ could make.

Then it occurred to her.

_Was this one of my victims?_

"Woah." The stranger said, lifting his hands in a placating gesture. "I am not here to harm you, Caroline." He smiled at her slightly, his eyes a bit watery. _He knows my name? _Unfortunately, she didn't even manage to ask him how he knew her name, the shock making her stick her foot in her mouth.

"You're dead." She stated instead, her eyes wide as she suddenly thought how stupid that comment sounded.

"Yes." The stranger, the _ghost_, confirmed, cocking his head slightly. "I have been for a _very_ long time." Then he smiled again. "I cannot believe it is actually you, Care. You are still so beautiful."

"Who, who are you, exactly?" She asked. At this the stranger's face fell and his expression turned sad, disappointed. For some reason she felt a little guilty for causing that reaction.

"Yes, I suppose you wouldn't know, would you?" He muttered to himself, shaking his head ruefully. "Damn that vampire."

"Hey!" Caroline exclaimed, indignant. The childish reply came automatically and it made her wince internally. _What is it about this guy that has got me acting like a kid?_

"Oh, no, no, I didn't mean you." The stranger suddenly glanced back at her, one hand going to the back of his head as he chuckled ruefully. "I suppose I am going about this incorrectly, aren't I?" He gave her a self-deprecating smile. "It's just been too long a time, little sister." His blue eyes were warm as he stared at her.

_Too long a- wait. Little sister? No, that couldn't be…_

But his eyes were warm and they were so, so blue. The very same shade, she knew, as her own.

_Tha-That's impossible…_

"Let me begin again by introducing myself." The stranger-ghost continued, bowing abruptly. "My name is Robb Forbes."

_Forbes…. Holy mother of…_

He straightened back up. He walked a little closer to her. His eyes met hers.

Blue eyes.

"I'm your brother, Caroline."

_Huh?_

**:D :D :D You CANNOT believe how long I have been wanting to publish that scene, eheh. Yep, I know, evil cliffy, but I can't do without them ;) More will be explained next chapter! Um, before I go, I didn't really have time to go over this chapter so if there are too many typos for the read to be enjoyable, let me know and I will get to that ;) As you probably also realized, this chapter focused mainly on 3x05 and 3x07 and was a bit more Original-centric than some of the others.**

**Anyway, as always, thank you for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	11. Wide Awake

**Thank you to justkeeplaughing, lily94, XXHemi, shadowfaxangel, brighteyescoldheart, DreamsBeatReality, Sci-fi Christian, lulujay (x2), thegurlwhowrites7865, Klaroline23, angbac, angel1725, Clara, chiara, , shadowscraving, MourningMemories7, Crazygirl8243, BlueJean452, chillwithJyl, LorenaLaufey, Runaway'96, suka27, arabella, CharlSmith, Siren's Fire, babyvfan, carasedrin, justine, **_**Guest**_**, Sissi Martin, CinderNella, SingLikeThere'sNobodyListening, drewwnesss, epic sweetness712, BiancaR, InuGnome17, Lovely Rain Dancer, Akhemz831, I Love All Books TVD Klaroline, sandicus, glevez25, PsychVamp, MarsterRoo, amidestroyingeverythingitouc h, oyj1703, Sunfiresarah, and OKBooey31 for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, TVD still isn't mine.**

Chapter 10

Wide Awake

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

"I'm your brother, Caroline."

_Huh? Wait, what? That can't- Huh?_

"Brother." Caroline found herself stating, her voice incredulous, disbelieving. "I have a _brother_." _He must be lying, right? This is just some sick game.._

"You do." The stranger-_Robb_ confirmed, his head cocked, keeping a watchful eye on her.

_His name, it's so familiar… Robb. Robb. Why do I know that name?_

And then it hit her.

_Robb. My dreams. The boy in my dreams, the one who took care of his sisters…_ _Who took care of _me_, my god, he really _is_ my brother… He can't be lying, why else would I dream about him? This is… this is just…_

"This-This can't be happening." Caroline stuttered out, her face paler than usual.

"And, yet, it is." Robb, her _brother_ Robb, replied, staring at her with blue eyes that matched her own.

There was silence for a moment as they stared at one another, unsure of what to do next. She examined him, her insides tumbling in turmoil. Here he was, a real piece of her past. Her biggest clue yet. She had a brother. For a long time Caroline had simply thought she had no family, after all, if she _did_ have family, wouldn't they have at least searched for her? But, in all her years, she had never met another member of her family. So she had stopped believing in them, started to think she was just giving into a false hope.

And now…

Caroline continued to stare at her brother. What was she supposed to say? What would anyone say? _I can't believe this… _Her eyes shifted back down to the scar on his throat, the fang marks.

"You're dead." She whispered, the realization that he was indeed a ghost finally making its way through the confusion in her head. _I finally find a member of my family… and he… he…_ The fang marks seemed to glare out at her. "Did-did _I _do that?" She asked, gesturing to the fresh-looking scars, her voice desperate and full of shame. _Did I kill my own brother?_

"No." Robb immediately replied, his face shocked. "Why would you think that? Of course you didn't. My death was the fault of someone else entirely." Towards the end, his eyes grew dark, remembering the monster who ended his and most of his family's lives. Robb brought his eyes back to his sister's face. It was still the same as all those centuries ago. Still the same Caroline, though with a little less knowledge it seemed. Well, no matter, he could help with that.

"I didn't?"

"You didn't." He half-smiled her, trying to provide some measure of reassurance. "_That_, my dear sister, you can be sure of." Caroline watched cautiously as he approached her slowly, his eyes still glued to hers, as if trying to tell her that he meant no harm.

When one Forbes stood in front of the other, Robb reached out and placed a gentle hand on his sister's shoulder. She froze up for a moment, but did not move away so Robb took that as a good sign and smiled at her. Caroline for her part, felt her heart ache. _I have a brother, a family, and he… he seems to _care _about me. I wasn't just abandoned._ Soon enough, she found herself relaxing slightly under his touch.

"You did not kill me, Caroline." He told her firmly. He squeezed her shoulder once and let go, but before he could take his hand completely away, Caroline grabbed it, wanting to keep close to her only known family as much as she could. She just got him; she didn't want to lose him so soon. Robb stared at her in surprise, but returned her grip without a single hesitation.

"How are you here? Why? Have you been here all this time?" She asked after a moment, looking back up at him, the desperate wanting to know becoming too much. Her grip tightened. "How come I do not know you?"

"Well, your little witchling friend helped in allowing me to be here. The witches on the other side also did their part. As you know, only the ghosts of supernatural entities should be here. I died human. They had to pull a few strings on the other side, as you say. It did help that I spent most my life in the presence of non-humans, I suppose. That, and the fact that I have a strong connection to you, sister." He mused, smiling at her amiably. "As for _why_… I was sent to you by the witches of days long past. They told me you needed help, that you were the only hope."

"Help me with what? And what do you mean by only hope?" The questions were said in a frustrated tone. _What the hell is going on?_

"I do not know why they are looking to you, Care, but I _do_ know you need help." Robb told her. "You have spent too long a time not knowing, your past should never have been taken from you in the first place." He groused, looking mightily annoyed himself for a brief second.

"My memories? You mean they were stolen from me? I did not just… forget?" Caroline had always thought that she had blocked it all of herself, the thought never even occurred to her that someone else was responsible for her memories.

"Oh, Care, your memories weren't just _taken_ from you. They were _compelled_ away." Caroline let go of his hand suddenly, her mind whirring, the shock clearly getting to her. She turned away, her hands going to her mouth.

"Compelled?" _But only the Originals…_ Her eyes widened in realization. "Klaus." For some reason she knew that it could only have been him.

"Yes." Her brother confirmed.

"But, why?" _Why would he do such a thing? Why would he put me through so much pain? How could he? What did I do?_

_What happened?_

"That is something that you must figure for yourself." Robb replied steadily.

"How can I?" Caroline whirled back around and glared at the other Forbes, the frustration of it all making her angry. "How can I do anything when I do not _remember_?"

"The witches also gave me the power to restore what has been lost to you." He stated calmly, a small smile playing at his lips.

_Restore what is lost… restore…_

"You mean…?" Before Caroline was able to finish her question, however, Robb had approached her again, and placed a gentle hand on the side of her neck.

"You must forgive me for this, little sister." Robb said, his voice suddenly laden with sadness. "This will not be easy to see; it will be even worse as I am not the one who compelled you, the reversal will be more difficult… but it must be done." He softly kissed her forehead, before pulling back lifting his other hand and placing on the top of her head, his thumb shifted down so that it sat lightly over her forehead. Caroline looked into her brother's eyes, blue meeting blue, her own gaze confused.

"Wha-?" She started, before she was interrupted by Robb's low whisper.

"Remember." As the word slipped from his mouth, Robb's eyes suddenly shone a brighter, unearthly blue and Caroline felt herself getting sucked in.

And then came the blinding pain came, punching a thousand needle pricks into her brain.

Caroline vaguely heard herself cry out, her hands going to her head as the pain continued to batter at her mind. Her knees buckled and she found herself, falling, falling…

Then a pair of arms caught her and Caroline had only a moment to appreciate that fact when the first flash came.

And then she was remembering.

* * *

_Seven-year-old Caroline ran after her older brother. The eleven-year-old boy had run off into the busy streets of London, chasing the boys who had been teasing her. Caroline didn't want Robb to go alone; he might get hurt._

_She was trying to keep up with her big brother when she stumbled over a rock and fell to the floor in a heap. A stinging pain started up in her knee where a deep cut marred her skin. The tears in her eyes were soon rolling down her cheeks and she let out a small gasp of pain._

_A moment later, a familiar face was in her line of vision. Robb looked at her worriedly, his eyes deeply concerned._

"_You're hurt!" He exclaimed, his hand fluttering around her injured knee. "We should get home. You must be brave now, little sister." Caroline sniffed and nodded, trying her best to brave for her brother. He put his arm around her shoulders and helped her slowly up. Once she was upright, he kept hold of her and guided her down the streets and back toward their cottage._

"_Thank you, Robb-Robb." Caroline said quietly, once she had calmed down. Robb had only turned to her with a bright smile and said that it was his job as a brother to protect her._

_He said he would always be there for her._

* * *

_Caroline had been twelve when her father returned home after completing his ten-year. She had seen him on several occasions before, of course, but only a few times, and those times had been brief. Caroline knew this was supposed to be a happy day but it was also shrouded in sadness._

_Today was also the day her brother would be leaving for his ten-year; he was to act as Papa's replacement. The point of the fact was that Robb wouldn't be here with her for a long time and Caroline could not be happy about anything today._

_She followed Robb outside of the cottage, paling slightly at the sight of two grand carriages in the road. Normally Robb would simply have gone to the London estate to report for duty, but the lords and lady of the Mikaelson family were headed to one of their foreign houses, only stopping in London so that their servants could be taken care of._

_Hence the carriages, one was beautiful, intricate and clearly cost a fortune. Caroline knew this belonged to the family. The other, however, was simpler, less fancy but functional. The servants carriage. _

_It was that day that Caroline had caught her first glimpse of nobility. It was that day that she saw her first vampire. The man that got out of the Mikaelson carriage looked simply magnificent; he wore an expensive looking doublet, had neatly combed shoulder length brown hair and even darker eyes. He was standing straight backed in front of the man she knew to be her father._

"_I thank you for your service, Edmund." The vampire lord said, nodding to her father._

"_It was an honor, m'Lord Elijah." Her father, replied respectfully._

_Caroline turned away from the sight and instead looked to her brother, who was watching the two with rapt attention. He looked paler than usual, obviously more frightened of what was to come than he would admit. Caroline immediately reached for his hand, giving it a small squeeze. He looked down at her for a moment, smiled slightly, and squeezed back. He only let go of her hand when their father suddenly turned to look at them._

"_M'lord, if I may introduce to your new servant." He approached them and laid a heavy hand on her brother's shoulder. "This is my son, Robb. He will serve you; his mother has seen to that." When Lord Elijah's dark gaze turned to them, Caroline shifted slightly so that she was behind Robb, peeking out slightly._

_Her father looked down at her angrily, knowing that she was disrespecting his good lord, having not even curtsied to him. He was about to reprimand his daughter when the Mikaelson carriage's door opened again. _

_Caroline only caught a brief glimpse of the man that stepped out, but from what she saw, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He carried himself well, and had a presence that Caroline could not help but to admire._

"_Come, brother, I am impatient to be moving on and out of this blasted city." The man called out, his voice almost musical. Soon enough, Lord Elijah was walking back towards the carriage and she was hugging Robb fiercely in goodbye. She held on as long as she could but Robb had to leave her now. He gently pried her fingers off from his doublet, and gave her one last peck to her cheek before turning and heading towards his carriage._

_Caroline couldn't bear to watch it so she turned her eyes away, instead looking towards the Mikaelson carriage. As she looked inside it, she noticed the handsome man from before. He was gazing out of one of the small windows, his eyes impassive as he watched the normal passing of time in the city. _

_When his eyes suddenly turned on her, Caroline fought the urge to look away. She was a Forbes. She was fierce. His eyes met hers and Caroline immediately noticed they were the brightest shade of blue she had ever seen._

_For a moment nothing happened, but then the man surprised her by smiling slightly at her, and the hardness in his eyes faded a bit. He raised his hand and gave her a small wave, smile still on his face, showing off boyish dimples, shocking Caroline even more. _

_Caroline did the only thing she could and waved back, smiling a little for the first time that day._

_The next thing she knew, both carriages pulled away, taking her brother and the handsome away._

_She wouldn't see either of them until four years later._

* * *

_Caroline sat next to her little sister, Laura, in the family room, both of them held a thick book on the recent history of the Forbes family._

"_Now, my girls, what is the main purpose of the Forbes family?" Their mother, Lucile, asked._

"_To serve the Original family." Caroline immediately replied, whilst Laura simply nodded in agreement. Laura would be free of the ten-year, as one child per generation was, so she did not often take her studies seriously._

_Caroline, on the other hand, knew the importance of it._

"_Good." Her mother said, smiling. "Now, let us move on…"_

* * *

_"Wake up Caroline, wake up! Come on! Do you not remember? It's your birthday! It's not every day you turn sixteen!" Laura shouted, roughly pulling down her elder's sister's blanket, disturbing her peaceful slumber. Caroline opened her eyes, groaning in annoyance at being woken so abruptly. She sighed, knowing that there was no way to return to her surprisingly pleasant dreams._

_"I'm going to tell Mama you are awake, don't take too long Care!" Laura bounced off, dark locks flying. Caroline crawled out of bed, picking her favorite blue dress to wear. She even went so far as to wear the thin silver bracelet she had gotten from her brother many years ago; it was her birthday after all, why would she not want to look presentable? She took her comb, and humming happily added the final touches to her appearance._

_Her happiness did not last, however, when she realized that she was officially sixteen years old and just what that meant for her. Today marked her last day of freedom, her life would no longer be her own for at least ten years, most likely even more. Girls her age were looking for husbands, not working for blood-sucking creatures of the night. As much as the others told her differently, she would become caged; a prisoner, and for a free spirit such as herself... well, she just hoped she wouldn't break._

* * *

_"Come in," she sighed as she heard a knock on her bedroom door. _

_"Well, there is no need to sound so cheerful, little sister." Caroline whipped her head up, stunned. There standing in the doorway was none other than her brother. He smirked slightly upon seeing the shock in the blue eyes they shared._

_"Robb!" She exclaimed, jumping off her perch on the bed and throwing herself at him. His arms automatically opened to catch her, already expecting the attack. Still, he was thrown back a bit when she finally reached him. He chuckled as her arms wrapped around him._

_"There's the Caroline I know, always eager to worship her big brother." He smirked, but squeezed her a little tighter, before letting go._

* * *

_The handsome man turned to Caroline, who averted her eyes. "And who might this fine young woman be?"_

_"This is my cousin, m'lord, she is to be-" Mary, Lord Niklaus' current Forbes servant began._

_"Your replacement." He stated, cutting through Mary's introduction. He slowly approached Caroline, who still avoided looking at him directly. Once in front of her, he paused for a minute, before lifting his hand under her chin, forcing her to look at him. As their gazes met, Caroline felt a shiver run down her spine. She felt herself looking into the most beautiful blue eyes she had ever seen, with a face to match. She was so caught in his gaze, she almost missed his question._

_"What is your name?" He asked, still crushing her with his hypnotic gaze._

_"Caroline Forbes, m'lord." She replied, dazed. He took his hand from her chin, only to take her hand instead. He took it to his lips, kissing it lightly, glancing up at her from under his lashes. As he straightened, he smiled charmingly at her._

_"It's a pleasure. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson. But you, my dear, can call me Klaus."_

_And in that first moment, Caroline knew that she was done for._

* * *

"_Through life, through blood, and through shadow." They chanted together. Caroline was bound now. She was bound to him, to Lord Klaus._

* * *

_Caroline let Lord Klaus lead her to the center of the ballroom. He turned her slowly to face her and let go of her hand. They fell into their separate lines, beginning their dance. As they stepped forward her eyes locked with his and she felt the electricity between them. Their hands raised and went to each other's, almost touching. As they stepped together, they turned to the other side._

_Caroline felt herself being sucked into his gaze, and the world around her seemed to fade away around her. They met each other again in the middle, hands raised, still not touching._

_On and on they went, dancing around each other, each teasing the other with their proximity. Towards the end of the dance, Caroline almost yearned to finally be touched. She could tell Klaus must have been thinking something similar as his eyes were practically smoldering. As the orchestra drew the song to a close, Klaus finally made a move and gripped Caroline around the waist, bringing her flush to him._

* * *

_Caroline felt her eyes drooping as the world around her became blurry. Lord Kol was still greedily drinking her blood, and with a pang she realized this might be her last moment on earth. Feebly, she tried to push him off of her._

_Suddenly, Kol's fangs were torn away from her neck, and he went flying back. She would have fallen were it not for the strong arms holding her up. She glanced to the face that belonged to the arms. Bright blue eyes filled with a strange mixture of fury and sympathy stared back at her._

_"Klaus... m'lord..." She mumbled, recognizing him even in her stupor._

_"Shh, love. It's going to be alright. It's me. You're safe." He said with surprising gentleness. Caroline smiled at him, idly. For some reason, she could not help but believe him; she was safe. She leaned into his chest and his arms tightened around her. Fuzzily, she hid her face in his embrace, letting the warm feeling of being cared for take away her pain._

_She closed her eyes, letting her exhaustion overtake her._

* * *

_"Klaus," She murmured as he pressed another kiss to her lips. She only pulled away when she needed air, but even then she did not step away. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks when she realized what she had done._

_She had _kissed_ him. She had kissed _Lord Klaus_._

* * *

_Before Caroline managed to get out of her bedroom and away from the person who had been ready to attack her in her sleep, that same person blurred to her, pushing her roughly back down, hand over her mouth. Caroline's eyes widened as she finally made out who was standing over her._

_It was a _woman_. Katherine Pierce._

_"Sh, sh, now, dear one. Wouldn't want to wake up your masters, now would we?" The woman's voice was sickly sweet, the menace underneath it showing her for the predator she was. Caroline struggled some more, managing to get a hand up but the woman soon noticed and pinned her down harder, chuckling darkly. "My, my, aren't we feisty? I see why he _likes_ you… Too bad for you."_

* * *

_Caroline opened her eyes to stare at Klaus, tiredly, watching as he sat down next to her, caressing her cheek lightly._

_"Why do you affect me so, Caroline?" He whispered, staring deeply in her bright blue eyes. He leaned down to leave a chaste kiss to her lips. "Sleep well, love." The next moment he was gone and out the door._

No, Klaus,_ she thought_, it is _you_ who affects me.

* * *

_"You shall know my pain, _boy_." Mikael's deep, gravelly voice said from behind her, his hands locked around her neck._

_She felt her blood spike, breathing coming out in short gasps. She met Klaus' gaze, saw his beautiful blue eyes widen in utter horror, saw him begin in his run, reaching out to her. Vaguely, she was aware he called something out, a terrible cry of pain._

_But, she knew… She knew what would shuddering gasp, she shut her eyes and felt a tear run down her cheek. _

_Knowing what she had to do, what she __needed __to do, she opened her eyes once more, just once, and looked back to Klaus. She would give him this one last thing. She focused on him and, through a shroud of terror and panic, smiled the tiniest of smiles._

_Klaus was so close._

_Crack__!_

_Black. Nothing. Gone._

* * *

_Caroline drifted in her black world. She was bodiless, she felt nothing. There was just black. There was no pain, horror or destruction, nor was there happiness or love._

_Black. Just black._

_And then she opened her eyes and it all came back to her._

_She was a vampire._

* * *

_I love you, Caroline, don't you see?" Klaus said._

_A shocked silence followed. _He… He loves me? W-What?_ Klaus could see the disbelief in Caroline's eyes, and knowing he could not turn back and retake what he had said, knowing that he did not want to, he decided to repeat them. "I love you and I can't lose you." He said, sitting back down in the chair, his head falling to his hands, fingers raking nervously through his hair._

_"You love me." She stated, her tone factual._

_"I do." He confirmed hopelessly as he looked at her in defeat._

_"Good, because, you see, I love you as well and it would be a shame for it to go unrequited." It seemed to take a moment for him to fully grasp the meaning of her words, but when he did, the widest, most beautiful smile she had ever seen made its way to him. It was like the sun was shining on his face and the next thing she knew she was pulled into a passionate, heart-felt kiss. Caroline wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, running a hand through his soft hair, whilst his arms were locked around her waist. They stayed that way for a long while until they felt the need to come up for air._

* * *

_"Caroline Forbes, would you do me the honor of truly becoming Lady Mikaelson?" Klaus asked, in his roundabout way. "I know it is not what you dreamt of when you were younger. We will never grow old together, nor will we have children… But, the world is at our feet, ours to travel and explore… and, I want you at my side, love-"_

_Klaus was interrupted mid-speech by Caroline's sudden tackle of him and he abruptly had his arms full of bubbly blonde vampire. He met her halfway, pressing his lips to hers, the supposed-to-be chaste kiss turning swiftly more impassioned. His hands ran down her shoulders, marveling at the soft skin, to her waist, gripping her tightly to him, his other hand found its way to her thigh whilst her fingers winded in his hair._

_"It took you long enough." Caroline gasped, pulling away from his mouth for a moment to look at him with that look that was both a mixture of disapproval and love._

* * *

_Her entire family was dead. All of them slaughtered._

_But Caroline couldn't move away from them. She couldn't move away from the body of her brother. She had to stay with him. She had to be there for him._

_She sat frozen and alone in a pit of darkness and blood._

_And then Klaus pulled her away._

_Caroline did not know what was happening. All she saw was blue as a comforting haze cocooned her in its warm embrace. She heard whispers of words_. You will be happy - you will not remember - you do not know me – you will find your way_.__ And then the memories flashed by and were locked away, deep in her mind._

_The black hole of pain turned smaller and smaller as the memories wiped away, but even as they were all locked up, nice and tight and the comforting haze took away her grief, the hole remained, smaller and less noticeable. But it was still there._

_It would always be there until she saw those blue eyes again._

_For now, however, she closed her own eyes._

* * *

Caroline gasped as she awoke, her eyes flickering open, the pain in her mind finally receding as the last flashes of her memories passed her by. She found herself lying in familiar arms, _Robb's_ arms. Her brother. Her wonderful, wonderful brother. She looked up to meet his eyes, her own filling with tears at seeing him again. She _recognized _him now.

_My god. I know now. I know who I was, who I _am.

_I remember._

"Robb!" She cried, her voice clogged up with emotion. She suddenly reached up and pulled him into a tight embrace. _He's dead and he is _still _watching out for me._ She buried her face in his neck, the tears flowing free now. "Oh, I have missed you so much!" She sobbed. "I am so sorry for what happened."

"Sh," He whispered, his arms wrapping around her instantly. Caroline could hear the emotion in his voice, as well. "It is all over now. The fault was not yours."

"Thank you." She said then, her heart filled with gratitude. He had given her back _everything_. She knew now. She knew what she had to do. She knew who she was.

She was Caroline Forbes, former servant and current fiancée to Klaus Mikaelson.

And she would damn well remind him of that.

**Well, that's it for today. I realize that a lot of this chapter is flashbacks. Most of them are direct or slightly rewritten excerpts of TLTLB, however, I added a few new ones because I didn't want to bore you with old material. The reason I put those in there, however, is because I felt it was important to give a little reminder of all the stuff that Caroline went through with Klaus and how much they had meant to each other.**

**Anyways, I sincerely hope you enjoyed this one. It's what I have been waiting to write since the beginning so I hope I did your expectations justice! I know it must seem odd that I used Robb as the catalyst for Caroline's remembering but, to me, it seemed like Klaus in this AU would be too stubborn and care to much about Caroline to be selfish enough to give her back her memories…**

**Next chapter: KLAUS!**

**Before I go, I do want to thank everyone for bombarding my email with all your reviews, alerts and favorites. You guys are amazing and you really made my day:)**

**Okay, well, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	12. Here We Meet

**Thank you to Imafan21, **_**Guest**_**, elle baybee, meagainpauline, thegurlwhowrites7865, FFFan87, Sunfiresarah, khaduhr448, shadowfaxangel, Random kupcakes, MourningMemories7, lily94, OKBooey31, IgnitineFireworks, Sci-fi Christian, Marceliita16, arabella, , MercuryHatter, CinderNella, chillwithJyl, Akhemz831, Sissi Martin, Any mouse, adamo393, 13melisa, LorenaLaufey, SingLikeThere'sNobodyListening, Addicted2Movies, Runaway'96, ignore common sense, glevez25, EternalLoveDreamer, GhostInThePhoto, Justine, batgirl2992, InueGnome17, StefanxKlaus14, drewwnesss, carasderin, BlueJean452, Lisolotte, BiancaR, angel1725, ILoveYou1978, brighteyescoldheart, Lovely Rain Dancer, Lal (x2), babyvfan, janellemayx0729, VoiletLemonsxoxo, Jinx-inside, Twistz of Doom, Lord of Sin, Emmalea, SweetyK, DuchessQueen, **_**Guest**_**, ohfortheloveofklaus, Clara, Diabolical Bowler Hat, Psych Vamp, oyj1703, Siren's Fire, Tardis356, I Love All Books TVD Klaroline, Klaroline23, and CharlSmith for reviewing.**

**Oh my feels… that last episode… I can't even…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**

Chapter Eleven

Here We Meet

_Mystic Falls, 2010_

Caroline pulled back from Robb after a few moments, tears still fresh in her eyes. He held her from him at arm's length and Caroline was surprised to notice the wetness in his eyes as well. He suddenly smiled at her, reminding her of a younger, freer Robb. _I can't believe it's all back._

She smiled back as he gently thumbed away the rest of her tears.

"It is good to see you again, little sister." Robb said.

"You too." She whispered in return. "You too. I can't believe it's really you." Her eyes turned to wonder. "And I _know _you. I know everything. You gave it back. You came back for me."

"I will _always_ look after you Caroline. You have my word on that." He promised, blue eyes shining brightly. Robb finally let go of his sister and she pulled herself from his embrace, trying to compose herself. He stood and offered her a hand to help her, which she took gratefully. Once she was on her feet she swayed slightly, the after effects of… whatever Robb did to her were still influencing her. Her brother steadied her quickly, keeping her upright. As he did so, however, Caroline caught another glimpse of the ghastly scars that marred his throat.

She stiffened as the sight of his dead body flashed before her eyes once more.

"Are you alright, Care?" Robb asked with a concerned tone.

"Who killed you Robb?" She asked bluntly once she managed to pull herself out of her memories. "I remember seeing you, _everyone_, dead… Who killed you and the others? Mama? Little Laura?" When he didn't answer right away, Caroline prompted again. "Robb?"

"It is no longer of import." The elder Forbes sibling replied.

"What do you _mean_ it's not important?" She exclaimed, incredulous. "Of _course_ it's important." _How couldn't it be? She deserved to know who slaughtered her family in such cold blood, didn't she? _She hadn't been able to figure out who had done it before Klaus, her Klaus, took her memory; she had been so filled with grief at the time. Even now, it was hard for her to swallow. She finally learned about her past and yet, most of it seemed dead and gone. _I need to at least know who killed my family._

"Caroline, you mustn't dwell on the past anymore. It's time to move forward." Robb said, breaking through her trail of thoughts. She met his blue eyes with her own, finding him looking back at her earnestly.

"I will move forward, Robb, I will… But, for now, I need to know." Caroline replied, keeping her gaze on his. "If you want to me to move forward then I first need answers. I will only… _dwell_ more if there are still questions left unanswered."

"I do not want you to live the rest of your life craving revenge, sister. That is not your role. What is done is done." Robb hedged, trying to avoid the topic. He had long accepted his death, his family's death. For many centuries on the other side, he had been angry. Angry that he had been pulled from life too soon, angry that he had never been able to see his daughter as a woman. But hate took more energy than forgiveness, than acceptance. So he had let go of his anger. After all, though he had never known his daughter in life, at her death he had finally been able to meet her.

Caroline would never die, not of natural causes in any case. She would never have that kind of closure. So, _he_ needed to make sure she didn't stray down the wrong path. It was all too easy to do and his sister was simply too good to turn up like _that_.

Besides, she had to play her part.

"Please, brother, _tell_ me." Said sister begged, the tears rising back up to her eyes. Robb was beginning to find it harder to refuse her.

"I am only trying to do what is best for you…" He muttered.

"I can decide what is best for myself!" Caroline hissed suddenly, anger lacing her voice. "Why does everyone seem to think I can't take care of myself? I am over four hundred bloody years old, you know. I can handle myself. I can _make my own decisions_. So stop trying to be my parent, Robb." She took a breath, calming herself. She didn't want to get mad at her brother, who knows how long she had with him. _I don't want our last words to be in anger… _"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. It's just…" She sighed before reaching for his hand once again. "I know what I'm doing; I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a vampire, and a damn old one. And I know_ who _I am now…" She peered into her brother's eyes, trying to get him to see what she saw. She wasn't weak. Not anymore. She never would be again. "You can trust me, Robb-Robb. Please tell me." It seemed the use of his old nickname broke her brother's resolve as he sighed.

"Katerina." He said softly. Caroline froze, her eyes widening. _What? _"It was Katerina."

"_She_ did this to you." She stated, her voice dull. Katherine. She should've known. _That bitch! _This entire time, she had been so close. The murderer of her family. Caroline felt the tight grip she had on her anger loosen. It was in times likes these that a heightened sense of emotion was not a good thing. She saw red, and she vaguely realized that her hand tightened around Robb's. "Katherine." She hissed, her fangs aching in her gums, wanting nothing more than to be let out. "She… How _could _she? That bitch is going _down_…" She muttered to herself, the rage clear in her voice.

"No." Robb exclaimed, pulling Caroline back with unnatural strength as she tried to leave, wanting nothing more than to rip Katherine apart. "No, Care, don't do this. Not now. It is not the time for petty thoughts of revenge."

"How can you be so calm about all of this?" She asked, confused. "She _killed_ you. Killed your wife, your _family_."

"I know. But are we any better than her if we are hell-bent on revenge?" Robb kept his grip on Caroline, trying to keep her focused on him and not on the past. He knew from experience that vampires had a hard time controlling their more base feelings. "From what I have seen she took our lives in order to hurt you and in turn hurt Lord Klaus for his crimes against her."

"So, you're saying it was _justified_?" Caroline's face looked simply shocked.

"No, of course not." Robb's features twisted in disgust. "I guarantee you that I have hated that _bitch_ more than you… But what good will it do? She is not _here_ now and no one, not even your precious Lord, has been able to track her down successfully. So what place does our hate have now but as a distraction?" He tried to make his sister see that it was futile. He didn't want her to waste any more years of her life.

"So, basically, you're telling me to… be the better person?" She raised a brow, finally somewhat calm.

"Yes…" Robb suddenly smirked. "At least, until she shows her face." He winked.

"Alright." She groaned with an eye roll. "I guess you have a point. I'm not really happy about but I can see what you mean." _But when I do find her, nothing will hold me back... _It was hard to finally find your family only to realize they had been brutally slaughtered.

"Good. There are more prudent issues that need your attention now. The witches have told me that you have a big role to play." And abruptly he was serious again.

"I still don't understand… What do you mean by that-?"

Suddenly, Caroline heard the door of the old abandoned house open. She had nearly forgotten that it wasn't just her and Robb out here. The door creaked open and out stepped Bonnie, who had long tearstains running down her cheeks.

"Bonnie?" Caroline asked, immediately concerned. "What's going on?"

"The ghosts, Grams just told me we have a way to get rid of them." She said shakily.

"Oh." The vampire let out. Abruptly, Bonnie gasped as she turned her gaze away from the blonde and shifted them to the other Forbes. Caroline knew what she must be seeing; a dead man with terrifying looking scars arrayed around his throat.

"Care, behind you." Bonnie exclaimed, already calling up her witchy powers. Before she could do anything to stop it, Caroline felt her friend's magic run through her body, passing her by for another.

"No!" She yelled, turning around to face her brother. "Robb." She moved forward, ready to get to him at vampire speed. Only, it seemed he didn't need her help as the magic, unseen, was expelled from him before it even touched him. Robb simply stared Bonnie in the eye, a glare forming in his blue orbs.

"I think not, witch." He said, his voice deceptively calm.

"What-?" Bonnie's eyes narrowed as she concentrated her power to a fine point. It did nothing. At this point, Caroline knew her jaw had dropped. _Well, that's unexpected... How did he block that...?_

Her eyes widened in sudden realization.

_Of course. The witches on the Other side._

Another wave of power made its way to her brother and Caroline had just about enough of this. She blurred forward until she was next to a shocked Bonnie and she grabbed her friend's held up wrist. Bonnie looked up to Caroline in question.

"I would really appreciate it if you stopped trying to hurt my brother." The blonde vampire said, sighing slightly.

"You have brother?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

"Come now, sister, I didn't require your assistance! I'm no damsel in distress." Robb said as he approached them, keeping a watchful eye on caramel-skinned girl.

"Please, Robb, you and I both know that you have always more the damsel than I." Caroline retorted, her voice teasing. At that the elder Forbes chuckled lightly.

"True enough." He conceded.

Meanwhile during the light sibling banter, Bonnie was looking on, utterly bewildered. She soon realized that the man was no threat, however, if the familiar way he treated Caroline was anything to go on. And then there was also the fact that she had called him her brother...

Bonnie was confused, to say the least.

"Caroline, _what _is going on?" She exclaimed when the vampire finally let go of her wrist. The vampire had opened her mouth to reply when her supposed 'brother' stepped in.

"I'm afraid there isn't time enough to explain, sweetheart." He said with an apologetic look at the witch as he stepped closer behind his sister. The blonde turned to glare at him when he suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

And then they were just... gone.

"Caroline?" Bonnie called out, panicked. "_Caroline!_" _Where did she go? _How_ did she go?_

Footsteps alerted her to another presence behind her and Bonnie turned to find her Grams staring at her intently.

"Don't worry about your friend, child." She said in that calming way of hers. "She is where she needs to be."

"But-?" The young witch started.

"Now come, girl." Sheila Bennet interrupted her granddaughter. "We have our own work to."

* * *

Caroline couldn't contain her gasp when the power wrapped around her and both her and her brother were transported away. When her feet hit the ground again, she felt her knees buckle and she fell to the floor in a heap, her brother landing next to her. Shocked, she looked around dazedly, immediately noting they were in forest… only, not the same one as before. _Did we seriously just teleport? What are we in some sci-fi movie?_

"What the hell, Robb?" Caroline said as soon as stood, dusting herself off. "Where are we? And why did you bring us here?" When she glanced down to the other Forbes, he was still on the ground, looking paler than she had ever seen him. He groaned slightly, rolling over to his back.

"Robb?" Caroline fell back to the ground next to him, helping him sit up. She kept an arm around his shoulders, holding him up. "Oh my god, are you okay?"

"Forgive me, sister. I should have warned you, there simply wasn't time." He said, his voice hoarse.

"No, no, it's okay..." She immediately replied, now only worried for his health.

"Listen closely, Care. You must play your part, the witches say you are the only one who can stop it." Robb met her eyes with a burning intensity.

"Stop what?" She whispered, brow furrowed in confusion.

"I shouldn't tell you this but I overheard them talking about you're friends, saying that they're getting close to a way to _kill_ him but, with him, thousands of others, his entire sire line, will _die_ as well… _including_ your friends." He grabbed her arm, making her concentrate on him. "Balance must be restored, sister, but there is another way." At any other moment, Caroline would have been extremely worried at his words. As it was, however, there were more pressing matters at hand. Such as the fact that it was getting harder and harder to hold onto him, like he was slipping through her fingers. His skin changed from pale white to almost clear; she could see _through_ him.

"Robb, you're fading..." She said, panicked. He didn't respond, his eyes drifting closed. "Robb!" She shook him hard, causing him to open his eyes frantically again.

"It seems that little trick of mine drained the rest of the power the witches gave me, especially after I used so much defending against your friend." He chuckled self derisively.

"No, no, you can't leave me again! I just got you back!" Caroline's voice turned desperate, tears pricking at her eyes.

"_Damn it..._" He cursed as he tried to stay tied to this plane, eventually sitting on his own. He turned to face the younger Forbes. "I'm sorry, I'm out of time and too far from Mystic Falls. I cannot stay corporeal here, that spell does not reach this far..." He said, knowing the truth of his own words.

"_Robb_... Please..."A tear fell slowly from her eye and down her cheek. Robb felt a pang in his heart; he didn't want to abandon her. Not yet.

"However, I have been dead for much longer than those poor fools in Virginia; I will stay close by, Caroline... " He reassured, patting her cheek gently as he tried to smile. "You won't be able to touch me, but you'll be able to see for a little while longer."

"But you can't stay forever, can you? The spell that allows you to be here will be broken soon, won't it?" _Bonnie and her Grams are going to make sure of that…_ Caroline looked down, the ache already starting in her heart.

"Yes." Robb replied, honestly. "There is nothing I can do against that, I'm afraid. My time has long passed."

He watched as the tears continued rolling down his sister's cheeks, and reached forward, this time touching her hand. Caroline looked down, noting sadly that she could see completely through his skin.

"Care, don't dwell on the fact that I will be gone, dwell on the fact that I was here in the first place." He smiled at her, eyes twinkling with an intelligence that he often hid. "This time we have had together... it was a gift. I've seen the beautiful woman you've become, sister, and, for that, I am deeply grateful."

"Since when did my idiot big brother become so wise?" Caroline laughed through her tears, wiping them away, though the sadness did not leave her blue eyes.

"You learn a thing or two after death." He replied with a smirk.

"_Tell_ me about it." His touch was fading fast now, and they both knew that in a minute it would be completely gone. She felt the tears start up again, running faster.

"I love you, Care." Her brother told her, trying in vain to comfort her, echoing words she had not heard from her family in more than four centuries. She felt a sudden rush of affection for him.

"I love you too." She whispered, squeezing his hand once more. She held on until his hand faded from her grip completely and she was holding nothing but air. They looked at each other sadly, and Caroline tried her best to stop crying.

"Well, what do you know, you care about me." Robb intoned, trying to lighten the mood by teasing her.

"You're an idiot." Caroline stated, her brow raising, sniffing slightly.

"And _you're_ the idiot's sister."

"True enough." She replied with a genuine smile, copying his earlier words. They were silent for a moment, both stuck in their memories, until Caroline realized she still had no idea where they were. "Robb? Why are we here? And _where _is here, exactly?"

"_That_, dear sister, would be giving it away." He stood and found himself holding his hand down to Caroline before realizing his mistake. He pulled his hand back and cleared his throat awkwardly. "Worry not, you are where you're meant to be… or you _will_ be. I couldn't bring us all the way there, we'll have to walk the rest of the way."

"Can't you just tell me where we are?" Caroline pouted, her tears drying.

"Not this time, I'm afraid."

"Fine." She groaned, standing up. She gestured for him go. "Lead on, _good_ sir." Caroline mocked, smirking a little.

"So I shall, kind lady." Robb replied dryly, already making his way through the foliage. The blonde vampire followed close behind. It was later here than it was in Mystic Falls, she knew, the moon casting a soft light around them, stars shining brightly. She could swear the sight was somewhat familiar.

They trudged on for a at least half an hour; Caroline knew she could go a lot faster but Robb seemed to laboring; it almost seemed like he was flickering, disappearing and reappearing. As they stayed out in the forest, for once she was happy she was a vampire, the cold in the air around her didn't affect her much, not like it would a human.

Strangely, the dark forest didn't creep her out like she thought it would… it was actually kind of… peaceful.

She and Robb walked on in silence until the trees began to thin, and Caroline knew they were getting to the end of the forest. Suddenly, her brother stopped, just as she could barely see past the end of the trees. From what she could see, it was a large field or meadow.

"Why did you stop?" She asked, furrowing her brows as she turned to face away from him, looking for any signs of threat.

But when she turned back around, her brother was already gone. She looked around, her eyes widening. Even as she searched she knew she wouldn't find Robb anywhere.

He was gone. For good this time.

A tear dripped from her eye as her heart clenched painfully.

_Don't dwell on the fact that I will be gone, dwell on the fact that I was here in the first place._

"Goodbye, big brother." She whispered, closing her eyes for a moment, pretending that he was standing right in front of her. She hoped he was happy now, that he knew she would be okay. He deserved some peace at last.

This time when she opened her eyes, they were clear, and Robb was still gone.

She turned back around to where the meadow was. Part of her wanted to turn back, but where would she go? And Robb said that she needed to be here. The least she could do was complete his task, find his 'surprise'.

So, instead of giving into that raw ball of grief in the corner of her mind, she locked it away, and tried not to think about it. She knew she'd have to deal with the death of her family, really _deal_ with it, but she couldn't. Not today. After so many centuries since it happened, Caroline would have expected it to _hurt_ less, but it didn't. Because to her it was like yesterday.

She began her trek to the meadow. It was where she was meant to go, right?

What she ended up seeing at the end of the tree line, in the meadow, made her heart jump to her throat. She knew where she was.

Barely visible in the dark, Caroline could see a pond, a familiar pond, with an ancient weeping willow sweeping over it. She knew that, once, there had been a bench under the willow.

Caroline was on the grounds of the old Mikaelson London estate.

It made her thoughts fly back to the first time she saw that great mansion. It had been so beautiful, and the most exotic thing Caroline had ever seen at the time. She had so many memories now of that house, if you could call it that. Both good and bad.

But, most of all, the pond made Caroline think of one person, Klaus. In the midst of the all the drama with Robb, her mind had wandered away from the Original.

And now, all she could see were memories of him.

Most of them were memories of their time here in 1550, but there were also the new memories. She couldn't help but think about all the little signs of his true self that he had shown her. The way he had held her tight, even as enacted his hybrid plan and forced Tyler's turning.

"_Until next time, love."_ He had said quietly, his eyes on hers.

Only, there hadn't been a next time. But she would make sure there was.

* * *

As her thoughts lingered on her former lord, Caroline found herself walking towards the pond. There was such a sense of familiarity to it that she could almost believe that this was the 16th century, and that she was still the servant she once had been. She could almost trick herself into thinking she was meeting Klaus there.

She reached the willow and pushed through, wondering if the bench, or a new one, was still there. She stepped through the leaves and froze at what she saw on the other side.

Not only was there a bench, but there was someone _sitting_ on it. Someone that she knew better than anyone else she had ever known.

_Klaus._

_Well, what d'you know._

He was sitting alone, apparently so deep in thought and in the past that he did not even hear her approach. He wore dark colors, making him almost blend in with the blackness of the night. But his eyes, they stood out, a bright blue against that shadows. His gaze was far off, a million miles away.

Watching him sitting there made Caroline first feel only an intense love. Here was the man she would die for, the one she loved more than anything. But with that love also came an anger such as she had never felt. Here was also the man who taken away her memories, her _life_, from her, without her permission. Here was the man who had taken it upon himself to make decisions in her life without her _consent_.

It made her so _angry_ and her eyes burned holes into his head.

The next thing she knew she was stepping towards him. He finally seemed to realize he was not alone and he stood up abruptly, before turning to face her. His face went almost comically form annoyed to shocked as he took in just _who_ was in front of him.

"Caroline?" Klaus asked, confused as he suddenly appeared right in front of her, using his superior speed against her. The way he looked her, so full of love and yet full of a different, unrecognizable feeling… it made Caroline feel more than she had in the past four hundred odd years. Which would explain why her anger sky rocketed.

Klaus opened his mouth as if to speak again, however, before he could so much as get another word out, Caroline lurched forward and did something that surprised them both. She slapped him. Hard.

His head whipped to the side at the unexpected action.

Caroline had just slapped Klaus.

And she did _not_ regret it.

The Original turned his eyes back to her and Caroline could see they were full of frustration and barely contained rage.

"How could you do this to me?" She exclaimed, her voice clogged with exasperated and angry tears as her own emotions became too much for her. Klaus grabbed her hand as it flew up to smack him again. She just wanted to make him feel like she was feeling, she just wanted to _hurt_ him.

"Love, as much I adore to have you in my midst, you had best _explain_ yourself." He growled, still gripping her wrist tightly, pulling her in slightly to add threat. _There is no way in hell that is working on me, Klaus… _

"Me? Explain myself?" She asked, incredulously. _How dare he act as if _I _was the one that wronged _him_?_ "Oh, you're a _bloody_ bastard, Klaus."

"Careful, sweetheart." He warned, his eyes flashing in anger. _You can't charm your way around _me_, Klaus, you'll see._

"I'd forgotten what a fool you could be. But then again, I had forgotten everything now hadn't I?" She hissed in reply, not even realizing that she had just told Klaus that she remembered everything. She hadn't wanted to tell him something like that in anger. Yet here she was, anyways. "You made damn sure of that."

"You... You remember? _How_?" Klaus' face was almost slack-jawed as he stared at her intently, his familiar blue eyes wide with surprised.

"Surprise." Caroline mocked, crossing her arms in front of her chest, looking the picture of defiance. "Looks like you couldn't keep my memory away from me forever. You should've known this would happen, Klaus." She sighed, shaking her head slightly in disapproval.

"I was trying to protect you, love. Keep you safe." The hybrid to explain, finding it hard to find the right words, especially when looking at the one girl who he had ever loved. The girl that had returned.

"I can take care of myself. I _know_ you tried to spare me the pain. I know that... But don't you think I _needed_ you?" Caroline remembered that black hole that had been left behind when he took her memories. "That I was lonely? For more than four hundred years there was this _hole_ in me... I needed you, Klaus. Where _were_ you?"

"You're angry with me." Klaus let go of her wrist, allowing her to back up a bit, pacing.

"Yes, _damn_ it! Of course I'm angry! What did you _expect_? That I would just fall into your arms? I'm too smart for that." She glared at him.

"I know, love, I know. It's one of the reasons I love you." He stated, as if the word 'love' was something he said everyday.

"And don't even think about compelling me again, or I swear I will never forgive you... Wait, what did you just say?" Caroline rambled on, finding it harder and harder to keep her feelings check, when suddenly she realized just what word slipped form Klaus' mouth. "Are you _kidding_ me? No way, nuh uh, you do _not_ get to distract with your supposed wit or charm or _whatever_, alright? So keep your comments to yourself because if you don't-" She was interrupted abruptly when Klaus grabbed her lightly by the shoulders, peering straight into her eyes with his own rather hopeful ones…

"It's really you." He said, wonderingly. "Before it was you as well, but you weren't _my_ Caroline." His hand raised to lightly graze her cheek. She didn't stop him, instead finding herself leaning into his touch.

"Like I said, Niklaus, you're a bloody fool." She whispered, shaking her head again as her eyes began to well with tears. "Don't you see? I have _always_ been your Caroline, whether I remembered it or not. _That's_ why I'm so upset." _How could you have done this to me?_

"Even now, love?" He asked, gruffly, the tiniest bit of human slipping in.

"Always." Caroline's reply went without a single hesitation.

* * *

_"Always."_

The word echoed in Klaus' head. She had always been _his_ Caroline. She had always been the woman he loved so very much. And he had failed her. Failed her horribly but she was here anyways. She was here for him.

_Always._

He had come back to the London estate to try and move past what had happened here all those centuries, tried to put Caroline out of his mind. But instead, his thoughts had lied only on her, and the next thing he knew, she was walking through the leaves of the weeping willow like a beautiful, blonde angel.

She was _his _Caroline and she _remembered_. Part of Klaus was disappointed that he memory was returned to her but another, larger part, couldn't help but feel relieved. She _knew_ now; he wouldn't have to pretend anymore.

She remembered now.

_Always._

The rush of adoration that Klaus suddenly felt was overwhelming. It overtook his entire body, his mind, his heart. _She remembers! _And he still loves her.

Klaus couldn't control his impulses any longer and pulled Caroline close, his heart thumping more wildly than it had done in a very, very long time. He met her eyes, trying to convey to her the impossible amount of love he felt for her.

"I know you're upset with me, sweetheart, but I will have to take this risk anyways." He said, his voice low. There was a questioning light in her eyes but before she could ask him just what this risk was, Klaus leaned forward and kissed her.

The fact that she kissed back was the only further evidence Klaus needed to know that she truly was his Caroline.

_Always._

**First things first, I wanted to say, you guys are just amazing! I just kept getting review alerts for this last chapter, and, let me tell you, it really made my week! Thank you for making last chapter my most reviewed chapter ever! I hope this chapter met your expectations.**

**Secondly, I want to apologize for the long wait you guys, I was having some trouble getting this down due to some rather unkind reviews from a particular user, who bothered me on another story too. I don't mind getting criticism, in fact I think it's really useful, but full on insults? **

**I have never understood the point of flaming...**

**Anyways, I will stop now before I go on a rant. The point is, I am really, really sorry this chapter wasn't out sooner; life got in the way. I know it's no excuse and I can't apologize enough. BUT, I have good news - I have a break for the next week, so expect at least two more chapters in that time ;)**

**Next chapter: What will the rest of the Mystic Falls think of klaroline? And, of course, more will be explained about just **_**why**_** Klaus is in London ;)**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	13. Goodbye, Good Me

**Thank you to Guest, 5289belle, Pem, Lord of Sin, shadowfaxangel, Guest, Psyc0gurl0, Marceliita16, lala931, chillwithJyl, CharlSmith, justine, Lal, drewwnesss, CinderNella, MarsterRoo, Lovely Rain Dancer, Sci-fi Christian, batgirl2992, TVDRocks, adventuretohappiness, amidestroyingeverythingitouc h, Runaway'96, FFFan87, InuGnome17, glevez25, arabella, BlueJean452, adamo393, Klaroline23, oyj1703, Clara, carasderin, Siren's Fire, TopazDragon, Tardis356, meagainpauline, Akhemz831, Diabolical Bowler Hat, khadur448, meg4klaus (x2), **_**Guest**_**, Any mouse, Emmalea, Jinx-inside, Katattack3, IgnitingFireworks, SingLikeThere'sNobodyListening, mrs Tall Blonde and Dead, ApekshaStar, Sunfiresarah, PsychVamp, DawnWalnut, DreamsBeatReality, lulujay, First Quadrant, babyvfan, Pattern of Night, BiancaR, ifancyklarolinexx, thegurlwhowrites7865, tacker23, and Addicted2Movies for reviewing!**

**Question; did anyone else just die during that last episode? Oh, and Klaus speaking Aramaic… It was just so…. I can't even… And then klaroline… And Jer… And then… and then…**

**Anyways, fair warning, this chapter is unchecked because I wanted to get this out ASAP, so sorry for the typos!**

**Disclaimer: Still no TVD for me!**

Chapter Twelve

Goodbye, Good Me

_London, England 2010_

Caroline's mind was a whirl of thoughts, all passing through her head too quickly for her to understand what they meant. All she felt right at that moment was Klaus, how his arms surrounded her, pulling her close to him, so close. She distantly knew that she was the only one who could possibly feel safe in his embrace. No one else was truly able to be this close to him without fearing for themselves, for their lives. But here she was with one of his hands was holding her gently to him by the nape of hair, whilst the other encircled her waist.

She found herself leaning into his touch, her arms winding around his neck, pulling him down to her. Her heart was fluttering like it had when she was human, and she felt younger, more _alive_ than she had in years. Because here she was. Here she was. She finally found what had been missing all these long years.

She should be soaring. And she _was_. But a part of her was trying to hold her down, reminding her that everything was _not_ alright, that she shouldn't let go this easily. She had to be true to herself.

After what seemed like forever, Caroline pulled her lips away from Klaus', her eyes darting to their feet as her troubled thoughts continued to play around in her mind.

"What's the matter, love?" Klaus asked, his voice low and concerned as he stroked her cheek with an aching gentleness, before placing a finger under her chin and making her look up at him. She immediately saw the worry in his face, and, for some reason, that made her feel guilty. She felt guilty because, in spite of everything that had happened, that _he_ had done, that _she_ had done, here she was with him. Here _he_ was looking at her with such obvious love and concern.

Caroline smiled sadly at him, reaching up to cover his hand with her own. She intertwined her fingers with his, turning her head to give a sweet kiss to his palm. Then she pulled his hand away and escaped from his embrace, stepping back until there was a painful foot of space between them.

By now, Klaus was looking even more worried, his gaze questioning.

"Love?" He prompted again, danger creeping into his voice, his brows furrowing.

"Klaus, I can't just..." She trailed off, lifting her hands in a helpless manner; she had no idea how she should explain this to him. She shifted her eyes from him. "It's been so long and so much has happened... The things _we've_ done." Her eyes suddenly burned on his again. "The things _you've_ done. You've hurt people, Klaus, people I _care_ about."

The Original's jaw tightened, his eyes darkening, and the emotion in his face was shut away. He stared at her silently.

"I can't just _forget_ all of that. We both know I have already forgotten way too much in my lifetime… I can't just forgive you for it." She whispered brokenly, rubbing a hand over her face. Klaus opened his mouth as if to speak but Caroline raised a hand in an effort to stop him. If she didn't get all of what she had to say out now, she wasn't sure she would ever be able to. He seemed to understand, however, and shut his mouth soundly. "I love you." She stated, saying words that Klaus hadn't heard in far too long. His expression was heartbreakingly sad and pleased at the same time. It made Caroline's heart melt and she had to fight not to jump into his arms right then and there. He had gone so long without love. "I will _always_ love you. Nothing can change that. I just don't know how we can move past it all just yet."

She wasn't angry with him. Not really. Caroline had spent far too long being angry at the world; she couldn't do it anymore. But, like she said, she didn't forgive him either.

For a long time, an eternity in Caroline's mind, Klaus stared at her with hard eyes. She held her breath, not making a move. The gap in between them felt like a giant chasm, ready to swallow her up.

"I will not apologize." He stated, warily, sounding tired, as if age had finally caught up with him.

"No." She replied, quietly. "I didn't expect you to." She let out a sigh.

"You wouldn't." He said, smirking as amusement danced in his eyes. No, Caroline knew him far too well for that. He sat back down on the bench, laying his arm casually across the back of it as he continued to smirk up at her. "I wonder, sweetheart, how did you find me? No one knew I would be here, I was careful to make certain of that." Caroline could hear the suspicious tone enter his voice.

"Let's just say I had a little ghostly help." She didn't move to sit by him, despite the invitation that was clear in his eyes.

"Ghosts?" For his part, Klaus simply raised a brow, not in the least shocked. But then, Caroline supposed, he was more than twice her age, and that was saying something.

She nodded in reply, her heart sinking as she thought of Robb. Her brother was gone for good now, she knew. It hurt more than she would like to admit.

Klaus asked no further questions on the subject.

"You know, love. I won't bite." His eyes flicked to the space beside him, gesturing for her to join him. "I would never hurt you." The way he was looking at her now made it hard for Caroline to keep away, his eyes alight with passion. When she still didn't move, Klaus smiled widely up at her. "Take a chance, Caroline. We can return to the real world later."

Caroline scoffed, rolling her eyes once, before giving up and perching carefully next to Niklaus. This time when he smiled at her, it was genuine and the sight of his boyish dimples made her think of their time back in the 1500s. She found herself smiling back, despite the pit of guilt and other dark, twisty feelings in her stomach. Why couldn't her life just be easy, for once? She finally found the love of her life, her kind-of fiancé, mind you, and he ended being her friends' nemesis.

Just her luck.

"What are we going to, Nik?" Caroline asked, suddenly serious again.

"I don't know, love." He sighed. He looked slightly annoyed but calm, and, for that, Caroline was grateful. It was much easier to talk to him when he was being reasonable and when his emotions weren't ruling every decision he made. Klaus may have been much older than her, but he had always lacked in controlling his emotions, no matter how hard he tried to deny it.

She found herself smiling again as thought about just how well she knew him.

Caroline faked gasped in response to his admission, lifting her hand mockingly to her mouth.

"Lord Niklaus doesn't _know_ something. Alert the media." She teased lightly with a slight laugh. Klaus looked knowingly at her, lifting the corner of his mouth. But her laugh was infectious, and Klaus allowed himself a chuckle. Caroline was very suddenly aware of their proximity. They sat nearly touching, and she could feel the shift of his chest as he breathed. Goosebumps rose on Caroline's skin and she had to fight not to shiver. There was an intimacy to whatever she did with Klaus, even before she regained her memory.

"You're friends are trying to kill me." Klaus stated, breaking the silence.

"Well, you can't see they have no reason to." Caroline intoned, trying to somehow deal with how completely messed up her life was right now. She met Klaus' eyes again. "I won't let them kill you." As she said the words, she could sense the truth in them. No matter how much bad he had done, Caroline couldn't bear the thought of a world without him in it. She would just have to find a way to convince her friends that it was better he live.

"But you won't join me either, will you?" The Original asked, already knowing her answer.

"No, I can't. Not now." She sighed. She was at a loss for what she was supposed to do.

"Very well."

Suddenly, a horrible realization made it to the forefront of Caroline's jumbled mind. _Oh my God… Why didn't think of this before? _

"Klaus." She turned to him, eyes wide as she grabbed his forearm, her panic clear in her voice. "Mikael. They were going to wake Mikael."

"_Hey Damon, what's up?" Caroline said as she answered her phone._

"_I think we found a solution to our little Klaus problem…"_

Caroline realized vaguely that she was shaking, fear coursing through her veins. But who could blame her. Mikael… He was _terrifying_. When she met Klaus' eyes, she saw that he was remembering the same thing she was.

_"You shall know my pain, _boy_." Mikael's deep, gravelly voice said from behind her, his hands locked around her neck._

_Crack!_

Her breath started coming in shorter gasps. Her friends wanted to wake Mikael because they thought he was the answer to all their problems, that he would be able to kill Klaus. And he would be able to. But they didn't know that Mikael was the one that _murdered_ Caroline. Even now, she could still feel his hands on her neck, and the strength he put into them when he broke it. If Mikael woke, Caroline was sure he would not only go after Klaus, _her_ Klaus, but herself as well, only because Klaus loved her.

Suddenly, a pair of hands were cradling her face, and Caroline was pulled back to the present. Blue eyes stared into her own as Klaus' fingers stroked her cheek.

"I will not let him harm, Caroline. Never again." He vowed gruffly as her breathing slowed and she felt herself melt into his calming presence. Soon enough her eyes were clear and she gave him a small smile. He returned it and placed a kiss to her forehead before pulling back, knowing that Caroline, and he himself, were still unsure of where they stood with each other.

"I have to get back to Mystic Falls, Klaus." Caroline announced. "Maybe I can stop them from trying to wake him…" She stood, automatically walking to where the estate used to be, worry clouding her mind.

"Caroline." Klaus called after her. "Caroline, wait." He was next to her now, grabbing her arm and turning her towards him. "You can't go." He insisted.

"And why not?" She asked incredulously.

"Did you not hear what I have just told you? I will keep you from harm, but for that you must stay by my side."

"Klaus, I have a chance to stop this from happening at all. I can do this, ok? _Let me_ do this." She put her hand on his arm.

"You cannot go." He insisted, grip tightening around her arm, his eyes almost pleading with her.

"I _can_ and I _will_." Caroline tried to quell her anger as his grip stayed tight on her, it would get her no where with him, not when he was like this. She knew he was only worried, but she hated feeling weak; that's not who she was anymore. "Now, let me go. Please, Nik."

He dropped his arm and she resumed her trek. She was relieved, however, when he joined her by her side, glad that he wasn't angry with her. For all their troubles right now, she hated it when he was mad at her.

"Why are you here anyways?" Caroline asked as they continued to walk, reaching a familiar hill. It felt so odd to be here. It was like walking in the past… only now she wore pants. The dresses had been pretty and all but they could have used some improvement in the practicality area. Klaus turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow as if to say '_and why would I tell you?'_ "I promise I won't tell anyone, especially my friends when they are still trying to kill you." She added.

"I was looking for more 'wolves, but they are spread around so I came back to England to search for a pack I had heard was close by… Since I was here anyways, I thought I would come look at the old place…" He told her, they walked up the hill, nearing the top.

"You just came to lo-?" Caroline's question died off as they finally reached the top of the hill and she saw what was waiting for them. Her eyes widened, she certainly hadn't expected it to stay standing, not this many years later. In front of her, maybe half a mile away, was the London estate; the one where she had served more than four centuries ago.

"After we sold it, the estate was passed down through the generations of the family who bought until they went bankrupt near a century ago. I bought it back from them and preserved it… I come here sometimes, to think." He murmured to her.

Caroline barely nodded, her eyes not shifting from the grand old house. Even from this distance she could tell that it was weathered, older now. The paint was chipped and darker, the windows dusty. The grounds, though kept, were rougher than they ever would have been in the 1500s.

Wondering what the inside looked like now, Caroline blurred forward, feeling Klaus by her side.

She made to one of the large back window-doors of the library and she opened it without trouble, as it was already unlocked. She entered the room and looked around, immediately frowning at what she saw.

The giant room was nearly empty, only the shelves remained, a few of them covered with large white sheets. In her mind's eye, she could see the library as it had been in its former glory. The mahogany bookcases had been beautiful then, each and every one of them filled to the brim with various novels and other written works. And they had all been orderly too, with a few display cases for some of the older books.

"It's different." Caroline stated, still frowning as she turned around to face Klaus.

"Yes." He said simply, a sad light in his eyes. She walked around him to look out the large arched window that she entered in it. Next to it was another window with a window seat and she had to smile at the memory that it brought back to her.

_Caroline sat down hesitantly on the window, taking her feet from her shoes and tucked them under herself, dull green dress covering them._

_From here she could see far out into the property's grounds, which she had yet to explore. To the right there was a large stretch of fields, green, dotted with little flowers of all colors. To her left, there were cultured flowerbeds and beyond that forest. The loveliest sight, however, was the pond, though she could barely see it; it was so far out. There was a weeping willow sweeping over it, and she could see the makings of a small bridge._

_It looked utterly peaceful, a peace which she herself had never known._

_"Beautiful, is it not?" Caroline nearly jumped out of her skin as she whipped around too fast, causing her to nearly topple of the seat had it not been for the strong hand catching her arm. She felt herself blush in embarrassment, and glanced up to thank her savior…_

… _only to see it was Lord Niklaus._

_She immediately jumped up, ripping his hand away from her in the process. Blushing, she dipped into a clumsy curtsy._

_"F-Forgive me, m'lord. I had not seen you there." She said shakily as she got up from her curtsy. She shifted under his gaze, once again unwilling to meet his gaze._

_"I can see that." He stated, amusement coloring his tone. Caroline peeked up at him, surprised to see the mirth in his eyes. She had been certain that he would be angry with her, first for presuming to use his library, and then for nearly knocking into him… "Might I ask, what were you doing?" He asked. Caroline immediately started to apologize._

_"I am sorry, m'lord, I should not have assumed that I could sit here, I will-"_

_"No need to apologize." He interrupted. She looked up at him again, momentarily at a loss, surprised by his apparent calmness. "I am not angry, just curious." He said, fixing his mesmerizing eyes on her again. Caroline was still confused, she opened her mouth to ask him why he was curious, but realized she should probably not call any more attention to herself, and snapped it shut. Lord Niklaus, however, was very observant she would learn, and saw her moment of weakness._

_"Ask your question." He said simply._

_"Well, m'lord, I'm not sure I should…"_

_"Just ask." He said, no, commanded, patience waning._

_"I was just wondering… why are you curious m'lord?" She asked, looking away from him. She was yet again surprised when she heard a low chuckle._

_"Is that really all?" At her hesitant nod, another chuckle escaped him. "Well, Caroline, I was just curious as to what you were so interested in that you could not even hear my footsteps. I haven't seen someone so completely lost in thought in a long, long time." He said wryly, looking at her as if she should answer his unspoken question._

_She cleared her throat nervously. "Well, m'lord, I have never been this far away from the busyness of the city and the grounds are so wide and __green__ that I wondered what it must be like to grow in a place with such scenery. I, myself, would go for a walk every day, until I got lost…" Caroline suddenly realized she was babbling, and snapped her jaw shut again, glancing to her feet._

_"I suppose beauty is easy to get used to when you've lived for five hundred years." _

"It's still beautiful out there…" Caroline murmured as she gazed at the property grounds.

"That's not the only thing that is beautiful, love." Klaus whispered lowly from behind her, his voice sending an unexpected but not unpleasant up her spine. She turned around to find him standing so close that there was barely an inch of space between them. For a long moment, she stared into his eyes, feeling herself getting lost in them. If she only leaned forward a little more than she could…

Suddenly she snapped out of her thoughts and took a step back, carefully ignoring Klaus' momentarily disappointed look. She couldn't get distract and break her resolve now. She needed to stop her friends first, she'd figure out her feelings later.

Before she left, however, she suddenly reached forward and grabbed Klaus' hand, holding it tight in her own.

"Thank you." Caroline said, watching as Klaus' eyes widened, surprised.

"For what, sweetheart?"

"For keeping this place, for allowing me to see it again."

"It was... my pleasure." Klaus replied rather hesitantly, not sure what to think of her thanks. She squeezed his hand once more before approaching him slowly and tentatively reaching up to place a kiss to his cheek.

She pulled back and before he had a chance to say anything more, blurred away from Klaus.

She wasn't running away, it wasn't like she could anyway, after all, Klaus was faster and stronger than her. No, he was letting her go, on her terms. And this, this made Caroline forgive him a little already. He finally understood her need to make her own decisions, understood she could take care of herself, that she didn't always need his assistance.

She was her own person and Klaus loved her for _who_ she was.

Caroline smiled, feeling more whole than she had in four centuries.

* * *

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

When Caroline got back to Mystic Falls, it was only a few days later. Unfortunately, she wasn't Robb and she couldn't just zap herself back to Virginia. Fortunately for her, however, she had spent a lot of time in London in her life and had a property there, fully stocked with emergency supplies. It had taken her longer than she wanted but she had been able to arrange a flight ticket to get her back home. She had considered calling her friends and telling them everything but she knew that what she was going to tell them needed more than just a phone call; it was time for a face-to-face.

The entire journey home, she tried to ignore that part of her that constantly missing a certain someone. Instead, she focused on what she had learned from Robb.

"_I shouldn't tell you this but I overheard them talking about you're friends, saying that they're getting close to a way to __kill__ him but, with him, thousands of others, his entire sire line, will __die__ as well… _including_ your friends."_

Caroline couldn't even begin to contemplate the trouble that this could bring.

As soon as she arrived back in town, she headed toward the Salvatore house, knowing that it was the center for kill Klaus plans. It seemed like, for once, she was lucky since she could hear not only Damon's voice but Elena and, oddly enough, Bonnie's as well. _Good_, she thought, _I'll only have to tell them one time._

"_Tell me how Blondie disappeared exactly?" _She heard Damon ask, rolling her eyes at the ever present nickname.

"_I told you it was one of the ghosts, who was _apparently _her brother; he just vanished with her."_ Bonnie replied, animosity clear in her voice. Those two never did get along.

Caroline had just entered the Salvatore house when she heard Damon begin to reply with another antagonizing remark. Deciding she really did not need to hear another Bonnie-Damon argument, she walked through to the large living room of the Salvatore house. She found Damon and Elena sitting next to each other on one of the couches, while Bonnie was sitting across from them. What surprised her though, was that even Stefan was there, standing off to the side, leaning against the wall. The sight of him brought back her earlier guilt; here was another person Klaus had hurt. Stefan was her oldest and best friend, she couldn't just forget what had been done to him.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Elena's sudden exclamation of 'Caroline!'

All of the room's occupants turned to her and the next she knew she was being hugged by both Bonnie and Elena.

"Thank God you're okay." Elena said, holding the blonde vampire close for a minute before pulling away.

"What happened, Care?" Bonnie asked, also backing away.

Caroline didn't answer for a moment, instead looking over to where Damon and Stefan stood side by side, she met both of their eyes for a second, wondering how on Earth she was supposed to tell this story, her past. When she was on the plane back, she had realized that she couldn't just tell her friends flat out to not wake Mikael – they would probably think she had been compelled by Klaus. No, she needed to tell them _everything_, it was the only they could possibly ever understand.

"I remember." Caroline said, interrupting whatever other question their resident witch was about to ask. "I remember who I am and who I know Klaus… I remember _everything_, you guys." Ignoring her friends' wide eyes, she gestured to the couches. "Sit down, this going to take a while to explain." Once they were all sitting, except Stefan who moodily refused, Caroline thought it best to just jump into it.

"I was born in the year 1534 to Edmund and Lucile Forbes. I have-_had_ a little sister, Laura, and a big brother, Robb. For the first sixteen years in my life, I lived with my family in our cottage in London, a _proper _English lass." Caroline's true roots showed as she briefly fell back into her British accent, before letting it drop again as she continued.

"The thing is my family… we weren't exactly your typical apple pie family. Generations of us were, well, basically born and bred to do only one thing…" She took a breath. _Well here goes nothing…_ "To serve the Original family."

Everyone was surprisingly silent and in any other situation, their shocked looks might have been comical. As it was, Caroline couldn't find it in herself to laugh, even when Damon snapped his jaw shut, trying his bet not to look shocked.

"What, so you were an Original slave, Blondie?" He asked with an abundance of snark. "That sounds kind of kinky if you asked me." Caroline shot Damon a dark look, showing how little she appreciated his attempt at humor.

"Elijah, Niklaus, Rebekah, and Kol all had one Forbes servant at any given time."

"Wait, wait." Stefan suddenly interrupted. "We know the other three but who the hell is _Kol_?"

"Kol is the youngest brother, though he older than Rebekah." She replied.

"_Great_." Stefan's voice was sarcastic. "Another Original bastard to worry about."

"I don't know." Caroline shrugged. "He could be daggered somewhere; I know Finn is."

"Finn?" This time it was Damon who asked.

"He's the oldest brother. I've never met him; he's been daggered in a box since the mid 1100s."

"There are _five_ of them?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

"Six. Let's not forget _Mikael_." Caroline hissed his name.

"You know him?" Damon asked and the blonde vampire glanced to him, looking for any sign that he knew anything about papa Original and his possible waking. She couldn't find anything in his face.

"Yeah." She nodded. "But we'll get to that later." She sighed, before running a hand through her hair. "Anyways, all of the Forbes family was trained for servitude as soon as they could talk, we were highly trained in whatever area was necessary. Languages, bookkeeping, vampires in general… Everyone in my family, except for one child per generation, which for us was my sister, had to serve what we called a ten-year. It was ten years of service, away from home, under one of the Originals. They were our masters. We began serving from sixteen on. Sometimes a little older when there was no Forbes servant who had finished their ten-year, so they would wait until someone did. In rare cases, some of us actually served longer than ten years, like my Uncle Richard, because there was no replacement who was 'of age'." She air quoted the last bit.

Even as she spoke of it, she could see the various faces of her family members. Her cousins, uncles and aunts, parents, siblings… They had also served at one point or another.

"As soon as we began our ten-years, a witch bound us to our Lord… or Lady, to ensure loyalty. The spell would only break if we were somewhere at least a few miles away, without permission, or after our ten years were done." Caroline took a break, allowing her friends to digest this information.

"That sounds kind of harsh." Elena was the first to speak.

"I guess it was, but that was just the way my family worked. It was normal for us, and it wasn't all that bad." Caroline shrugged, before looking down at her hands, remembering her own short-lived servitude. "I started my ten-year the day I turned sixteen. I was taken away from my home and brought straight to the London estate."

"Whom were you bound to?" Damon asked. Here, Caroline was silent, she suddenly felt uncomfortable revealing all of this to them.

"It was Klaus, wasn't it?" Stefan said, knowing her well enough, even in his Ripper state, to see what she was thinking.

"Yeah. It was."

For a moment, all was silent again as they looked at her weirdly, realizing that she knew the big bad daddy hybrid on an almost personal level.

"Well damn, Blondie. It was bad enough that you had to be an Original's bitch but Klaus'? That's a whole new low." Damon exclaimed.

"I was no one's bitch, Damon." The blonde vampire replied, annoyed. "Anyways, when I was Klaus' _servant_…" She threw a pointed look at the elder Salvatore. "…he seemed to immediately take an interest in me. It was a game at first, I think, but slowly, after lots of arguments and near-death experiences, we started to understand each other better, we started to _care_ about each other." She swallowed nervously, and didn't look at any of them, not wanting to see their judgmental faces. "During that time Katherine was around to stir up trouble and after she nearly killed me, Klaus and I… we stopped looking at each other like master and servant… we were more, and that's when I realized I was in love with him." She heard Elena's quiet gasp but still didn't look up and kept talking, not giving them a chance to interrupt her until she got through the rest of the story.

She needed to get this over with now.

"But, of course, it wasn't that easy. I guess it never is. I was human and he was a vampire, a damn ruthless one at that. But there was humanity in him and I wasn't completely innocent either. We were trying to figure it out when Katherine made her second attempt at my life, trying to get her revenge on Klaus for killing her family." Her hands tightened into fists as she thought about what happened next. "This time she was successful."

She lifted her head to look at her friends, fire burning in her eyes.

"You see, Katherine knew she wasn't strong enough on her own, so she searched out Mikael and told them where we were. And Mikael when he found us and saw me, he thought of the perfect to inflict pain on Nik, by hurting _me_." Caroline's voice shook slightly as she went on to the next part of her story, the memory of it all still raw. "So, Mikael murdered me, snapped my next, _in front_ of him." A tear fell unbidden from her eye, and she brushed it away roughly. Elena looked at her sympathetically and reached out to take her hand. Caroline smiled back at the brunette gratefully, glad that, despite all she had just told them, she still cared about what the blond vampire was feeling.

She swallowed, trying to calm herself before moving on.

"The only reason I survived was because Elijah had been slipping his blood into my tea, of all things. He knew I was in danger and that Klaus was attached to me, though he was too stubborn to admit. Plus, I like to think that Elijah was my friend. Anyways, lo and behold, then next thing I know I am waking up with a killer headache and a fetish for human blood. At first, I wasn't going to turn, I never wanted to be a vampire, but I had a family, friends… and Klaus, he was in love with me too. I couldn't just leave them behind. So, I turned."

She took a deep breath, hoping that they would listen to what she had to say next.

"There's more, but before I do anything else, I need you to listen to me. You can't wake Mikael, look I know you hate Klaus, I know you want him gone and I am not saying this because I don't want him gone, I am saying this because Mikael is more dangerous than any of you can imagine… He will do _anything_ to get to Klaus, he doesn't _care_ who he hurts or kills to achieve his goal. So, please, don't do it, it's not worth it-" Caroline's almost desperate pleading was suddenly interrupted by Damon.

"Sorry, Blondie, but that's not going to happen."

"What?" She exclaimed. "Why not? Look I know you want to kill Klaus but, trust me, this is _not_ the way."

"No, it's not that." Stefan shook his head. "It's already too late, Caroline."

"What-What do you mean?" She asked, already dreading what she knew the answer was going to be.

"Mikael's already free. And he is headed straight here."

Caroline knew there was a key point that Stefan left out of that statement.

Mikael was headed to Mystic Falls _for Klaus._

_Well, _Caroline thought even as she panicked inside, _I will just have to make sure to keep him away from Mystic Falls. For his sake and mine._

**OMG, you guys! Five hundred reviews! You are all amazing ;) I also just wanted to say sorry for all the trouble with the last update; it seemed that this site was lagging a bit! By the way, we have just passed 3x08.**

**Next chapter: Rebekah and, of course, the rest of the explanation :D For the rest, 3x09 should give you a clue ;)**

**Thanks for reading and, as always, tell me what you think!**

**RW**


	14. Tick Tock

**Thank you to **_**Guest,**_** PenelopeK, ILoveAllBooksTVDKlaroline-Kol, shadowfaxangel, Emmalea, **_**Guest, **_**lulujay, AngelinaGuerin, carasderin, OKBooey31, Lord of Sin, **_**Guest**_**, **_**Guest**_**, immortalpen, batgirl2992, FFFan87, Clara, oyj1703, adamo393, chillwithJyl, Runaway'96, Lal, Sushi loves Whitlock, Sunfiresarah, PsychVamp, ApekshaStar, BiancaR, Sci-fi Christian, BlueJean452, delena-soul, justine, CharmedAndDangerous22, babyvfan, Lovely Rain Dancer, **_**Guest**_**, Marina, **_**Guest**_**, InuGone17, CharlSmith, holl2712, and drewwnesss for reviewing!**

**That last episode was just sooo friggin' emotional, I can't even… Then we have to wait three weeks! I suppose my only consolation is that the next episode is airing on my birthday :) What can I say? Best. Birthday. Present. Ever.**

**Hopefully… If Klaus is in it…. And the writers give me some klaroline…. :D**

**This chapter is kind of a prep. chapter for the next one, so there is a LOT of conversation in it. (Originally I was going to put the two chapters together but it was getting too long so I decided to split it)**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own TVD.**

Chapter Thirteen

Tick Tock

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

"What-What do you mean?" She asked, already dreading what she knew the answer was going to be.

"Mikael's already free. And he is headed straight here."

Caroline knew there was a key point that Stefan left out of that statement.

Mikael was headed to Mystic Falls _for Klaus._

_Well, _Caroline thought even as she panicked inside, _I will just have to make sure to keep him away from Mystic Falls. For his sake and mine._

"_Please_ tell me this is a really cruel joke." Caroline stated, though she knew that it wasn't.

"Nope." Damon confirmed, shrugging slightly.

"Damn it." She whispered to herself, her mind flashing back to her one and only meeting with Mikael. Everything she had said about him was true; he was not to be trifled with and he _would_ stop at _nothing _to kill his 'son'. "Why the _Hell_ didn't you tell me before?"

"Well, gee, Blondie, maybe it has something to do with the big bombshell you just dropped on us…" Damon muttered sarcastically. Immediately, the blonde vampire felt guilt rise up in her; it wasn't their fault, not really, she shouldn't have snapped like.

"I'm sorry." She sighed, leaning her head in her hands.

"Look, Care, I really don't know what to think about all of this." Elena put in, her voice and eyes conveying sincerity. "I am definitely _not_ a Klaus fan, not after all he's done… But I get the feeling there's more to the story."

_Oh, you have _no _idea._

For a moment Caroline thought about just leaving, getting the heck away from Mystic Falls before Mikael got there, her fear of him overpowering. But she was not some scared kid, and she wouldn't abandon her… _friends_, so she shoved the thought out of her mind. Instead she tried to calm herself by focusing on Elena's question. Though Caroline wanted nothing more than begin planning for Mikael's arrival, she knew that her friends deserved to know the rest of her story first.

"Soon after I turned…" She said, beginning from where she ended. "…the family decided to move away from the London estate. They sold it and we moved south. The siblings decided it was best to split up for a while, with Mikael having come so close to killing them. I mean, it was only luck that got Klaus out of there alive." Klaus had told her the full story once, in their fifth year living in their own house. She still remembered the far off look he had had, the way his arm had tightened around her, pulling her even closer to him as if to reassure himself that he was really there. She smiled slightly at the memory.

"Mikael was outnumbered. Apparently Klaus' screams when he saw me die were pretty loud." Here voice was monotonous, like she was talking about everyday things, not about one of the worst things that had ever happened to her. "Rebekah, 'Lijah and Kol had been there at the time, and for once they weren't all arguing so much, so they came in and helped their brother."

"I don't know what else happened while I was… dead, like some of you probably know…" She turned her eyes to the Salvatores, who were both watching her warily. She knew they wouldn't like the news, she just hoped they would remember that she wasn't the enemy; she had been their friend for longer than anyone else, she at _least_ deserved the benefit of the doubt. "…but waking up was a _bitch_. Like I said, at first I didn't want to turn; I mean I almost attacked my brother and I didn't have fangs yet! I didn't want to become a monster."

"Why'd you change your mind?" Elena asked, contemplative.

"I couldn't leave everyone I loved." She replied with a shrug and she could see the understanding that lit in Elena's eyes. There was much that could be said about the Gilbert girl but she was loyal to a fault. Though Caroline knew she was still having trouble with everything she was being told, she also knew that maybe, just maybe, she would _understand._

Caroline noticed that Bonnie was being suspiciously quiet and glanced to the witch. When she saw the look on the girl's face she felt immediately disheartened. There was _distrust_ there. It hurt her to know that what she was telling them might drive her friends away. They were her family now; she didn't want to lose them, not like she lost her parents and siblings, her uncle.

"Anyways, we moved, I had to say goodbye to my family, at least for a while, for their safety and my own. In the end it was just Klaus and I, living on our own. We were happy. It was peaceful. He taught me how to survive as a vampire and in return I taught him how to remain in touch with his humanity, to not let himself completely out of control. Eventually, Rebekah came back, living in an estate near to ours. She and Nik never could be far apart…

But, with our luck, it didn't last. We had nine years together before everything went to crap."

Here she paused, her heart already aching as she thought about what happened.

"A month after what would have been the say my ten-year ended, I was going to visit my brother, Robb. He had just his first child, a little girl, and he insisted that I come and visit right away. Only when I got there…" She stopped, her breath hitching. "When I got there, there was only blood. The first thing I saw was my mother's body and my baby sister's." Tears rolled down Caroline's cheeks, and she had to fight to control her breathing. "I immediately went looking for the others, for my brother, but when I went upstairs, there were two more bodies. Robb and his wife, a woman I never even had the chance to meet."

She quieted for a moment, her breathing hitching slightly. She tried to put her grief to the side, her eyes already drying. It was hard to believe they were all dead. All gone.

She brushed roughly at her wet cheeks, getting rid of any stray tears.

"The only one that survived the slaughter was my newborn niece." Caroline admitted, her face turning into an emotionless mask as she stared at the wall behind her friends, not meeting any of their eyes. "I'm not sure what happened to her… after… I would guess that they gave her away to a surviving family member, if there were any… Maybe Uncle Richard…" She mumbled the last part.

"What? You didn't stick around to find out?" Bonnie exclaimed incredulously, judgment ringing clearly in voice. Caroline ignored it, barely even hearing the question.

"Bonnie." Elena admonished, though the blonde vampire could feel her eyes on her curiously, also wondering why she hadn't helped the newest member of her family.

Damon and Stefan stayed silent.

"I would have… after…" Caroline started, sighing slightly. "But losing someone is _hard_, and that is something you all know." She shifted her eyes pointedly to Bonnie, before glancing at each one of her friends. "I couldn't think, couldn't _move_, it was just too much for me. I think I sat by Robb's side for hours, more than a day, I don't know. It was Klaus who eventually managed to get me away from him. He held me, tried to comfort me."

She noticed the odd looks on her friends faces; they couldn't believe that the big evil monster they thought Klaus was might actually do something… well, _good_.

"But I was in more pain than I had ever been before… and I think Klaus blamed himself for it." _That fool, it was never his fault. _"So he did the only he thought he could – he wiped my memory and tried to give me a chance at a 'new life' or something." She said, shrugging slightly and sighing again. She still hadn't really forgiven him for that, for taking away her own free will, her _choices_.

"And now here I am, more than four hundred years later."

She finally really looked at her friends, really saw their expressions. What she saw wasn't bad, per se, but it wasn't exactly promising either. She saw they were all stunned, even if they tried to hide it in the case of the Salvatores. Elena had sympathy in her eyes but also wariness; Caroline had expected this, after all, if there was one person who had lost a lot to Klaus, it was Elena. _That doesn't mean I will let him die though. _When she shifted her eyes to Bonnie, she saw anger bubbling under the surface. The blonde vampire tried not to wince at this. It was simply how Bonnie reacted to things that didn't agree with her; plus there was the fact that she had put so much work, blood, sweat, and tears into trying to _kill_ Klaus. Now finding out one of her best friends was in with him?

Even Caroline knew that must sting. She immediately knew that Bonnie would be hard to crack. When Bonnie got angry, she got _righteous_, and righteous Bonnie was not to be messed with.

She then glanced to Stefan, trying to decipher her oldest friend's expression. It was unfamiliar, however. He was the ripper now, not her Stefan, not the best friend she grown to love and care for as a brother. Sure, she had seen ripper Stefan before, but never long enough to know that side of him like she knew his good-intentioned side.

It made her sad to think that this was another thing that Klaus had caused. He had caused so much pain to the younger Salvatore.

She met his eyes, seeing a flash of dark anger that lingered there.

Caroline was aware the ripper Stefan held a vendetta against Klaus and was probably the least likely in this room to help her.

Lastly, she looked to Damon.

Surprisingly enough, he was the _only_ one with any measure of understanding in his eyes. For a moment, she wondered why. Why would Damon understand her plight at all? He had a grudge against Klaus as well, for almost killing him, taking his brother away, and almost murdering the girl he loved.

But then it clicked for her. Damon not only knew what it was like to be the bad guy, but he also knew what it was like to hopelessly love someone almost unattainable. He had loved Katherine after all.

Caroline's hopes rose, but just for the slightest second, because despite his understanding she also saw resolve.

Klaus was a threat to Elena. To the ones he cared about. And it was as simple as that for them.

None of them would help her.

"Wow." Elena said, breaking through her reverie. "I mean just… wow…" She seemed speechless, but Caroline found herself not caring for it. Her heart was breaking at the thought that her friends would not help her.

She ignored Elena and instead kept her eyes on Damon.

"So, that's it then?" She asked lowly, causing silence to reign in the room again, as everyone stared at her and Damon. "You won't help?" He didn't look particularly surprised at her question; after having known her for so long, he knew Caroline would be able to read his decision as soon as he made it. She had always been rather intuitive, even for a vampire.

"Blondie, I get that you guys have history, but he isn't exactly the most stand up guy." He leaned forward onto his elbows, blue eyes burning fiercely into her own. "I mean the man has tried to kill us all, _multiple _times."

"So, what, you're just going to let Mikael run rampant? Do you have any idea how _dangerous_ he is?" She asked. Not that she knew they would not help Klaus, she hoped that maybe they would see reason when it came to Papa Original.

"Yes." Stefan said, his voice dangerously close to a growl. Caroline turned her eyes to his, shocked by the bluntness of his statement. "And you want to know why? Because he is the _only _way we can get rid of Klaus once and for all. He had to die, Caroline, after all he's done to us."

Though she couldn't fault him for his reasons, Caroline felt her anger rise at the both of them. Were they really so idiotic as to think that Mikael would let them live? He was the vampire who hunted _vampires_.

"So you're just going to stick your heads in the sand and ignore what I am telling you? Mikael is _dangerous_, he _has_ to be stopped." She insisted, wishing she could show them what she had seen, show them what she had gone through.

"And he will be, after we put down Klaus." Stefan stated, crossing his arms.

"Besides, Blondie, how should we knew _any_ of this is true? In case you've forgotten, the Originals can compel other vampires. Don't you think it's just a little bit suspicious that, after spending so long without your memory, you miraculously recover it right just in time to stop us?" Damon raised a brow, distaste in his expression.

"And where have you _been_ these last two days?" Bonnie asked, eyes narrowing.

"Klaus wasn't the one gave me back my memory back! It was Robb." In her frustration, Caroline stated the first protestation that came to mind; the fact that Klaus _couldn't_ have compelled because he was not the one who had given her memories back.

Of course, the rest did not see it that way.

"Robb. As in your _dead_ brother Robb? Yeah, Blondie, _now_ you have us convinced." The elder Salvatore brother replied sarcastically.

"The ghosts were here ,remember? The Other side witches managed to send Robb to me. They said I had a role to play and they told him to give me back my memory." When she saw their disbelieving expressions, she turned to the witch in the room. "Bonnie! You saw him. Tell them!"

"Well, I did see some ghost with Caroline right before she disappeared…" The brunette admitted.

"See?" Caroline gestured to Bonnie, her voice turning hopeful again.

"Have you maybe thought that he was just a ploy to get you to Klaus so that _he_ could compel into making this story?" Damon shot her down again.

"God! Why won't you just _believe_ me?" She exclaimed in return. This was frustrating and it hurt more than she would tell that her friends didn't seem to touch their judgment. That hurt translated to anger, anger at her friends, and at Klaus for putting her in this position in the first place. She clenched her fists together, trying to keep control of her temper.

"We want to Caroline, we really do… But how is it that there is _no_ proof whatsoever? We spent months researching the Originals, and we never saw anything about any Forbes servants…." Elena finally said something, her voice laced with guilt.

_Why won't they give me the benefit of the doubt? Haven't I done enough for them?_

_I know they hate Klaus. I know that. I am not asking them to put aside their grudges, at least not yet. I just want them to help me take down Mikael._

_Can't they see that?_

"They have lived for more than a thousand years, Elena, I'm pretty sure they have learnt to cover their tracks by now…" Caroline sighed, trailing off. It was no use. She knew that now. Shaking her head, she stood up, grabbing the jacket she had put to the side earlier and shrugging it on roughly.

"Look. Whatever. You don't want to help me. I get it." The blonde vampire tried her best to keep the annoyance and betrayal out of her voice.

It didn't work.

"You wanted to know where I was the last two days?" She looked pointedly at Bonnie. "I was with _him_, with Klaus. Robb brought me too him, using the last of the power the witches on the Other side had given him." She looked around at them all. "He warned me that bad things would happen if Klaus died. I have the feeling that this, _all_ of this, is going to get much bigger and much badder than Klaus. Than me."

She began walking to the doorway of the parlor, head held high, until she stopped abruptly and looked back, her hand on the frame of the door.

"You guys are my friends, so I am going to have to warn you. I won't let you kill Klaus. Not today. Not until I figure everything out." Her voice dropped an octave, and the menace that came with age entered it. She may have been a peace seeking sort of vampire, but she was still a vampire, damn it, and older than anyone in the room. "_That_ you can count on." She smirked the smirk that she learnt from spending so much time with Klaus. "Good luck."

She walked out.

No one followed.

Caroline tried to ignore the pang in her heart.

* * *

When Caroline arrived back at her home, there was someone sitting on her porch. The _last_ person she would have expected to visit her.

Rebekah Mikaelson.

Only this was not the Rebekah she recognized. The witty, take no crap, strong-willed girl she had gotten to know all those years seemed far-gone, leaving only a shell of her former self. Still, there was some of her that, in the way she sat, prim and proper, and in her eyes, the age shining clearly.

"I heard everything you said to them." Caroline looked vaguely surprised, and Rebekah explained. "I was upstairs."

"Oh." Caroline could have smacked herself for that answer. _You couldn't have thought of anything else to say?_

"So I see my brother has regained his staunchest supporter." Rebekah let out a bitter laugh. "I don't know why I am surprised, you always _did_ fall at his feet." Caroline ignored the sting of that jab, knowing that Rebekah was only lashing out.

Something was clearly upsetting her.

Though she and Rebekah were never very close, they still had had a friendship, at least for a while. Contrary to what _certain people_ seemed to believe, Caroline always did her best to help her friends.

She sat down next to Rebekah as the Original stared at her with quiet curiosity. This was also strange. Rebekah was many things and quiet was not one of them.

"I need to ask you something." Caroline decided to break the awkward silence that had encased them. The Original sister simply raised a brow, as if asking her about what this question was. "About then." For a moment the other girl's blue eyes clouded and she frowned. It didn't stay long, however, and her eyes soon returned to their usual sharpness.

"Well?" Rebekah said, annoyed. "Go on then."

"What happened to my niece?" After Bonnie had mentioned the fact that Caroline didn't know what happened to her remaining family members, she had felt guilty. She really didn't know what had happened, and now she was curious.

"She was placed in Richard's care, like you suspected." Rebekah replied, sadness lacing her voice. It made her think of her uncle. He had been so in love with the girl in front of her, but Caroline was never sure if Rebekah had returned the sentiment.

From her reaction, though, she would guess that Rebekah felt more than she had let on.

"He named her Caroline." Rebekah's almost whispered statement hit Caroline hard, brought her back to herself, brought the pain and grief back. _Uncle Richard…_ He'd been so kind to her, more like a brother really, and Caroline was sure he had been a wonderful father to her namesake.

"Why are you here, Rebekah?" Caroline asked, trying to keep her voice from breaking.

"I am here as a favor to you." Caroline was sure she had a shocked expression on her face. "Oh, don't look so surprised, we were once to be sisters and, unlike my _dear_ brother, family actually means something to me. Besides, you have the right to know before you go making any decisions about saving my brother."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know the story of our family? Of how we came to be vampires?" Rebekah didn't answer, instead asking questions of her own.

"Yes. You're parents turned you after you lost your younger brother. But when you all awoke, and Nik made his first kill, he unlocked his werewolf side. He wasn't Mikael's son, which made him angry and… Mikael killed your mother." The other blonde replied, curious as to why the Original would bring up her history now of all times.

"I thought so too. For so long. I was such a fool for believing him." Rebekah suddenly faced Caroline, and took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for the next words she was going to say. "Nik lied to you, Caroline. He lied to use _both_. It was not my father that killed my mother. It was _Nik._"

"W-What?" The younger vampire's eyes widened, shocked.

"It's true. When my mother bound Nik's wolf side, he got so angry that he killed her… He killed her and then he lied to everyone about it, to _me_, so that he wouldn't lose the remainder of his family. _That's_ why Mikael has been hunting him down this entire time. _That's_ why Mikael killed you."

"I-I don't know what to say…" Caroline swallowed, her beliefs shaken. She turned to Rebekah and spontaneously reached out and clutched her hand. Rebekah tensed and looked to her questioningly. "I'm sorry. About your mother."

Tears filled the other girl's eyes and she nodded stiffly. Caroline knew that Rebekah did not like to look weak, she was far too prideful for that, so she soon let go.

Her mind was whirring, confused, at this new information. Part of her was upset, angry, but another part of her was understanding. Klaus had always been more violent and easy to anger than the rest of them; it came as a part of his werewolf heritage. When he first turned it must have been awful, almost impossible to control that temper; everything was heightened as a vampire.

But she had been his _mother_.

And that wasn't the worst part. It was the fact that he'd lied about it for so long.

Rebekah suddenly stood, pulling her out of her hazy and concerned thoughts.

"Now you know everything. It's up to you whether or not you think he is worth saving. I have had my heart broken too many times by the likes of him, I cannot simply forgive him this time." She began walking away slowly, before she turned again. "He changed the last time you were in his life, Caroline, and he changed again when you left. If anyone can help him, it's _you_."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Despite all that Nik has done, he is still my big brother, and I will always love him, even when I hate him."

This time when Rebekah walked away, it was Caroline who stopped her.

"Rebekah!" She called, causing the Original to turn again. "What you said… about the fact that we were going to be sisters once… I would have liked that."

Rebekah looked at her suspiciously for a moment, as if suspecting deception. When she found nothing, the only Mikaelson girl sent her the smallest of smiles. It was small but it was genuine.

"Me too."

And then the Original disappeared.

And Caroline was left alone with troubling thoughts.

_Does Klaus really deserve to be saved?_

**So, I was thinking, because this is going to be the last installment to the TLTLB 'verse that maybe I would just do another one-shot series like The Stories of Old for it. It would again be on a character basis and basically just be moments, first meetings and the like, that I just didn't have space for in this story. What do you think?**

**Sorry for the long-ish waits for updates lately, I have a couple of one-shots and other stories in the works, which have been eating away at my time. Plus, the further this story gets along, the harder it is for me to write the chapters the way I want them, soooo….**

**Next chapter: The explanation took a little long so we will be covering 3x09 next chap… with a certain twist ;)**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	15. And We All Fall Down

**Thank you to tinany. cohen (x2), hopes123,****CinderNella, **_**Guest**_**, MicaPineyro, **_**Guest,**_** Aleandra Odinson, babyvfan, shadowfaxangel, softballlover298, Lal, Clara, BlueJean452, **_**Guest**_**, Klaroline23, ILoveAllBooksTVDKlaroline-Kol, Lord of Sin, khaduhr448, adamo393, PsychVamp, justine, Sunfiresarah, chillwithJyl, ignore common sense, Sci-fi Christian, Runaway'96, glevez25, Tardis356, holl2712, ApekshaStar, OKBooey31, and Lovely Rain Dancer for reviewing!**

**I realize that last chapter was a lot of talking – have no fear, action is here! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**

Chapter Fourteen

And We All Fall Down

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

_A black figure rushed towards him, shrouded in shadow. It was danger, it was evil and it swallowed him whole. When it pulled back, there was a stake in his chest. A white stake, and his blue eyes widened with pain and fear. He met her own eyes, reaching out to her. She ran forward, desperately trying to get to him, trying to take his hand._

_His mouth opened in a silent scream, and he burst into red-hot flames, making him like the sun in the vast darkness they were in._

"_No!" She screamed desperately. "Klaus!"_

_The black figure rushed towards her and suddenly she could see its face, its cruel, cruel face._

_Mikael._

Caroline awoke with a gasp, her heart still racing from her nightmare. She was disoriented and her mind was still wracked with fear. It had been a while since she had had such a bad nightmare.

She still couldn't believe it; Mikael was _awake_. The past few nights she had been doing her best with what she had. Her friends were avoiding her completely, which was understandable, but also _very_ frustrating. She just wished she had someone she could _talk_, someone not biased about Klaus or herself.

She wished she had non-Ripper Stefan back, he would have listened to her…

But, she was stuck on her own.

When she had learned that Klaus had killed his own mother, she had no idea what to think at first. After all killing your own mother? That just seemed cruel. But then she was reminded of the time that Stefan had confessed to her that he killed his father. She hadn't made any judgments then, so why now?

Maybe it was because she was looking for an _excuse_ to be mad at Klaus. After all, anger was often easier than understanding.

Maybe it was because he had never told her. Maybe it was because he had lied.

That didn't matter now, however, it was not her place to make a judgment, not without all the facts. She had been too hasty with her feelings before. She may not have forgiven Klaus but she _loved_ him, and she always would. She had to allow him a chance to explain what happened to her.

Besides, she knew well enough the emotional rollercoaster baby vampires were, add to that a werewolf's temper… It was not exactly the most stable of mixes.

So, despite Rebekah revealing the whole thing to her, she knew she couldn't allow Klaus' demise. Not when there were still so many questions. Not when she was still in love with him. She couldn't be a part of it.

It would be difficult though. Her friends, though still her _friends_, were not her allies at this point. She also knew that she couldn't tell Klaus… yet, that is. She would tell him only when she was sure. Just because she loved him, doesn't mean that Caroline was oblivious. She knew that Klaus would most likely react with violence, which would up with her friends being harmed. If it came to a dire point, however, she would tell him. She just hoped she could stop this before it happened.

The only person she could think of that might actually help her was Rebekah. Caroline knew it was rather a long shot, at least now. But, when it came down to it, her and Nik had always been close. They were siblings, and there were very few things that could completely break that bond.

Knowing her next course of action, Caroline made her way outside to her car. As she walked there, the sun shining on her back, she had the eerie feeling of being watched. On any other day she might've mistaken it for unfounded paranoia. But after centuries of living, she learned to follow her instincts.

She slowed in her walking as she felt a presence behind her. Without another thought, she turned, fangs bared, and attacked. She jumped the figure, trying to tackle him down. Her efforts were futile, however, when a vice-like hand grip her throat and held her up in the air. She choked painfully, and her hands fell away from the figure and to the hand around her throat, trying to pry his fingers off. She kicked at him but it had no effect. Her eyes roved around, trying to find her attacker's face.

When she did find it, she immediately struggled harder.

It was _Mikael_. Her _killer_ Mikeal, Klaus' evil stepfather. Her heart sprung in fear and she forced her terror down, trying to calm down and _think_, damn it. _Come on Caroline. You're not human anymore. There must be something you can do! Don't just do it for yourself. Do it for him, too. You promised you would keep him alive, you need to keep that promise._

Klaus' handsome face flashed through her mind. _I wish I would've stayed with you, my love._

"Well, I should have expected to find Niklaus' little whore here, doing his bidding for him. He always was a coward." Mikael said scathingly, his face calm but his eyes displaying a manic insanity that made Caroline shiver.

"Mikael." Caroline struggled against him and he simply smirked at her, a cruel twist of the same expression she was so used to seeing on Klaus' face.

_Klaus. Have to help him._ She so wished she had stuck closer to him.

"You know, I had originally planned to use the doppelgänger for this… But you, my dear, will do so much better..." She felt his hand tighten amount around her throat and Caroline immediately realized that there was really nothing she could do.

_I'm sorry..._

Mikael pulled her closer and his fangs descended. The next this Caroline knew he was biting deep into her throat. She felt herself weaken, unable to do anything against it, no matter how hard she struggled. It was painful, more painful than anything she had experienced in a very long time. Just as she felt herself drifting, her mind muddled, Mikael's fangs receded and he held her up at arms length.

With one last triumphant smirk at her, he twisted his hand.

_Snap!_

Black.

* * *

Klaus was suspicious, and very much so. Stefan had called him earlier, claiming that his father was dead, that the doppelgänger had been the one to dagger him. Although Stefan had been compelled to tell him only the truth, Klaus was not stupid, he knew there were ways to get around it. Rebekah had confirmed it for him, but Klaus' cautious nature did not allow him to believe them quite yet.

Plus, there was the fact that he had yet to hear from Caroline, and he was _sure_ she would've found a way to get to him, especially when something this big had happened. Caroline had just as much reason to celebrate Mikael's death, and she knew it was important to him as well.

Though she hadn't forgiven him, Klaus knew that Caroline was simply too kind, too _good_ to simply keep such information to herself.

It made him wary of what awaited him here in Mystic Falls; it made him suspicious.

However, he decided to act as he normally would have, by throwing a big party. It was just a front, however. An excuse to allow the hybrids he had found all over the States after he returned from London to roam freely. They would be his insurance. He ordered some to take care of the Salvatore brothers should something happen to him. A few of his more trusted hybrids he ordered to search out Caroline. Things were not exactly well between them but, even after so many years, there was no one Klaus loved more than Caroline and he would be damned if he let something happen to her again.

If he let her down again.

Though it was hard to admit, Klaus was worried. If something had happened to Caroline… He wasn't sure if he could stop another attempt at his life… He wasn't sure if he would _want_ to.

For now, however, he locked down on his emotions. Now was not the time.

He needed to play along.

For a little while.

So, here he was, at an obnoxious party in the Lockwood house that he threw to 'celebrate'. He had that feeling inside him that was warning that something was very, very wrong.

* * *

The world around her was a blur as she opened her eyes. She felt weak, weaker than she had in all her time as a vampire. She felt herself being yanked up from where lay, grabbed roughly and dragged away from the tops of her arms. She tried to take in what was around her but her head was pounding horribly and she could feel her muscles stiffen due to her lack of blood. Her skin was graying and she was sure she must have looked more undead than usual.

"Where are you taking me?" Caroline managed to choke out through the pain and weakness. Her head was lolling and she cursed herself for being caught _again. _She five hundred bloody years and she _still_ couldn't seem to avoid trouble.

"Shut up." One of the men hissed back. His scent was odd, somehow wolf but not. It reminded her of… _Of course. He's a hybrid_. But why would Klaus send one of his hybrids to fetch her in this way?

Unless… Her memories of the night returned. _Mikael. _

She tried to get her stubborn limbs to move so she could escape but they weren't listening and it only caused her more pain. Through her haze, she realized that Klaus was in danger. She _needed_ to get the hell out of there.

Wherever they were taking her didn't seem to be to far off because, soon enough, they came across a very familiar house. It was the Lockwood mansion. The place was full of commotion that Caroline couldn't differentiate between one voice and another. There was one thing she noticed when her eyesight sharpened, however.

It was Klaus and Mikael in the midst of what seemed to be a dangerous confrontation.

_No, no, no…_ she thought,_ I was supposed to stop it… this shouldn't be happening…. No, no, no…._

The men holding her pulled her forcibly towards the pair and Caroline immediately realized what her role would be in this. She was _leverage._

_Mikael's going to use me to hurt him. I can't let that happen._

She fought with all of her diminished might, but it was futile. Still, she couldn't give up.

"Damn, she's a feisty one." She vaguely heard one of the men holding her mutter as his grip on her tightened. She was brought closer and closer, even as she tried to pull back. _Come on, come on, come on! Have to get out of here…_

"The big _bad_ wolf. You haven't changed. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward. You only forget. They may be sired by you, but they're still part vampire. And they can be compelled by me." Mikael's voice made a shiver run up and the next thing she knew the men shoved her towards the girl standing by Mikael's side. The girl, in turn, handed her off to Mikael and she fell into him, unsteady on her feet. The Original's hand went to the back of her neck roughly, holding her up viciously and making her look in front of her.

Klaus stared back at her, panic in his eyes. _I am so sorry,_ Caroline thought.

"Caroline…" He reached out to her, wanting make sure she was all right, his eyes still on hers. He hesitated suddenly, hand clenching into a tight fist, blue orbs flickering to glance at Mikael. "Let her go." He growled at his stepfather, anger, no, _rage_, ringing clear in his voice.

"Now, now, Niklaus, you know that is not how this game is played." Mikaels replied and Caroline could feel the puff of his breath on the back of her head. She continued to stare at Klaus, trying to tell to _stay back_, to not fall for it. She couldn't bear the thought of _her_ being the cause of his ultimate destruction. "Come outside and face me." Mikael's hand became a claw around her neck and she gasped in pain. She heard Klaus let out what sounded like an angry growl. "Or she _dies._"

"You wouldn't. You would lose your leverage, _father_."

"Oh wouldn't I? How quickly you forget, Niklaus. I _would. _I would do it so you would live forever, with no one at your side. Nobody cares about you anymore, _boy_! Who do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced? No one. No one."

"You're wrong, Mikael. He has me." With renewed strength, Caroline drove her elbow into his gut as hard as she could, with the power of nearly five hundred years. It only caused Mikael's grip on her to loosen the tiniest amount, but it was enough. She broke free of his hold and ran towards Klaus, focusing on his surprised. His hand was reaching out to her again and she put hers forward. For a moment, she thought she would make it. He wasn't far from her, after all, she only had to move a few steps.

But living for nearly five hundred years was nothing compared to living for a thousand. Mikael grabbed her by the ends of her hair, yanking her back. His other hand went under her chin and pulled her head back, keeping his hold even firmer before.

"Perhaps, he does. But _you_, my dear, are nothing but a _weakness_." Mikael laughed cruelly, looking down at her. He turned to look back at Klaus, smirking. Suddenly Caroline felt a red hot pain in her back and she vaguely realized that Mikael staked her as she fell forward to her knees.

"No!" Klaus yelled out, his voice rough with panic and anger. Caroline had one hand on the floor, holding herself up. Her other hand went shakily to her lower back to where she could feel the stake protruding. It was agony but she managed to wrap her hand around it and pull it out, though she couldn't stop the pained whimper that made it past her lips.

"Now come outside and face me, you little coward. And I won't kill your little whore." She heard Mikael say from above her. Still breathing hard and her vision blurry, Caroline looked up to Klaus, a protest already at her tongue, when she noticed a figure behind him. "Watch out!" She screamed, causing Klaus to turn around just in time to notice his attacker before a stake went into his abdomen and yelled out.

Immediately Mikael lurched forward and wrapped a hand around Caroline's mouth pulling her up to her feet once more. "You have been nothing but trouble to me," he hissed to her, fingers digging into her skin before he flung her into the courtyard in front of the house. Caroline hit the ground hard, her already injured back taking the brunt of the impact. She let out a small cry and rolled to her side, noticing the people standing around her. "Kill her!" She heard Mikael call out to them. In response, the man nearest to her dropped his fangs, and his eyes filled with gold.

_Hybrid,_ Caroline thought, panicked. _I can't let them kill me. I won't die! His bite… I have to make sure he doesn't bite me… _Despite her mixed up thoughts, Caroline knew she had to_ move_. So she forced herself to get up through her weakness and pain. She managed to sit up and scurry back just as they descended on her.

One hybrid was immediately on top of her, snapping at her with his teeth. Caroline clamped a hand tightly on his throat, keeping his teeth away whilst her other hand punched into his chest. She gripped his stuttering heart and _pulled_.

He fell dead on top of her but Caroline didn't take a single minute to contemplate it and, instead, pushed him off, getting herself to unsteady feet. She swayed slightly on her feet as the other hybrids circled her. There were too many, but Caroline wasn't about to go down without a fight. She only wished she could spare a look back, she needed to see what was going on with Klaus…

Two hybrids moved in at once but she was ready for them and she moved as quickly as she could, taking off one of their heads without too much trouble. The other one let out an angry growl and ran to her. Caroline just managed to move out of the way, snapping his neck in the process. She knew that it wouldn't kill the hybrid, but it would keep him down long enough for her to take care of the others.

She wasn't that lucky, though. Her body was weakening, and even the adrenaline that came with fighting for her life was waning. Right now she was barely faster than them, barely stronger. The wound on her back wasn't healing due to her lack of blood and she was still frail from having her neck snapped. After dispatching the fifth hybrid, the remaining three worked as a team.

Two went behind her and pulled her arms back painfully. She tried to kick at the other one but he only chuckled a bit and approached closer. He blurred in front of her and snapped her head to the side, exposing her throat. His fangs pierced the soft skin there and Caroline cried out in outrage and pain. She fought harder but the agony was becoming too much. Everything _hurt_.

Finally her body went limp. Her vision blurred.

She didn't hear the loud bellow of "_Caroline_!"

* * *

Klaus didn't dwell on the fact that he had just killed the man he had once called father. He barely spared his flaming body a glance. His eyes were focused solely on Caroline, or, rather, what _his_ hybrids were doing to _his_ Caroline. His heart stuttered with the force of his panic, and his mind filled with a bloody rage.

He was _livid,_ even angrier at his hybrids than he had been at Mikael only moments before. He didn't even give himself the slightest moment to realize that he had just killed the man who had hunted him for _a thousand years._

Instead, Klaus found himself growling with utter fury, his eyes filling with gold as his fangs pierced through his gums. In the next instant he was holding the heart of the hybrid who had _dared_ to touch something that was _his_. No one was allowed to harm Caroline. Not _his_ Caroline.

He made quick work of the two holding her, staking one with a branch he picked up off the floor and tearing the other one's bloody head off. He was so quick that Caroline hadn't even hit the floor yet when his arms went around her tightly. She was moaning in pain, mumbling, and the torn up sight of her sent a pang through his heart.

"Sorry, so sorry… Failed you… failed…"

"Sh, sh, love." Klaus whispered, stroking her hair gently as he inhaled her scent, relieved that she was alive, before both of his hands went to her cheeks, cupping them so she looked at him. "You did nothing of the sort. Everything will be alright now, sweetheart, no more harm will come to you." She seemed to comprehend him and nodded a little before leaning into him, knowing she was safe enough for her to finally rest. She whimpered slightly as the movement jarred to bite on her neck, causing Klaus to look down at her with concern. He moved some of her away from her neck, hissing when he noticed the wound.

He stood immediately, holding Caroline tightly in his arms. He wanted to get away from prying eyes. Stefan may have fought off Damon for him but he knew the elder Salvatore would not be pleased by today's turn of events; though the younger vampire wouldn't be able to do much to him, Klaus did not want to have to ward off another attack.

He was gone in an instant, Caroline still secure in his arms.

* * *

"It is almost over, love." Caroline barely heard the words as she laid down on something soft. She did not get to enjoy it, however, as her body was wrecked with sickness and injury. For a moment she could have sworn she saw someone other than Klaus. Someone that looked oddly like Robb… She had to shake her head to make him disappear. She was hallucinating, she must have been; Robb was gone now.

Through her hazy mind, Caroline realized that Klaus had slid behind her, and she now laying against his chest. One of his arms was around her waist, holding her upright. He held his other wrist to his mouth and bit into it before holding it in front of Caroline's mouth.

"Drink, sweetheart, you will die if you do not." The words were whispered roughly into her ear. Caroline could smell the sweet scent of his blood and did as he asked. She bit into his arm, enjoying the euphoric feeling of his drinking his ancient and powerful blood. Soon, it energized her and her eyes snapped open, more aware than before. She brought her hands up to his, bringing his wrist closer to her mouth whilst simultaneously holding his hand. She nearly moaned in pleasure as the blood continued to flow down her throat. Her pain was fading and she could the skin of her wounds sewing back together.

Once it was healed, Caroline managed to pull his wrist away from her mouth. She didn't let go of his hand, however, still holding tightly with her own as she settled her arm in her lap, intertwining her fingers with his.

"Thank you." She whispered, turning her head to look up at him and smile. He returned her look with a serious expression, his eyes with filled turmoil. He nodded before shifting away from her, gently taking his hand from hers. He moved to get off of the bed they were sitting on when Caroline panicked. She grabbed his arm, causing him to freeze and glance at her.

"No, stay with me." She found herself whispering. "_Please._ I don't want to be alone." She knew he consented when she able to pull him back into the bed. He watched her almost wearily but allowed her to make him sit next to her against the pillows. For a moment neither said anything. Caroline's hand was burning on his arm, tethering him to her. Hesitantly, she stroked her hand down his forearm until it reached his own hand. She took ahold of it, once again intertwining their fingers. When he didn't try to pull away again, she smiled and placed her head against Klaus' shoulder, comforted by his warmth.

Right now, she felt at peace. Like all of the worries of the world had faded into the background. Now, she was just Caroline. She wasn't a centuries old vampire. She didn't have to worry about what was coming next. She didn't even have to worry about her friends never forgiving her or about their next plan to kill the man next to her.

She had tomorrow for that. For now, however, she planned on spending a few guiltless moments with the man she loved.

"I missed you these last few days." She told him honestly, snuggling closer.

"As I missed you, love." Klaus said as he looked down at her. "But not just these last few days." His hand caressed her cheek for a moment as his eyes burned into hers. Caroline didn't say anything but smiled sadly, understanding what he was trying to tell her. When she nodded, he pulled away from her cheek but brought her hand to his mouth, placing a gentle kiss to her knuckles. He smirked a bit at that noticeable shiver that went up her spine.

They spent a few moments in companionable silence. Theirs hands were now lying on his chest and Caroline could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat. Eventually though, she couldn't bear to keep quiet a second longer, too energetic from her infusion of his blood.

"Klaus, you're free." She told him, bringing up the significance of today's events for the first time. Mikael was _gone_, out of their lives for good. She smiled happily at him.

"I suppose I am." He replied, oddly monotone, his brow furrowed.

"What are you going to do?" Caroline asked, confused why he wasn't more… _pleased_ about the whole thing.

"I think it is high time I wake my family, don't you?"

This made the blonde vampire's smile widen even more. "Let's go now." She exclaimed, moving to get off the bed. This time it was Klaus who stopped _her_ from leaving as he pulled her back swiftly, causing her to fall on top of him, straddling him. She shifted so she was seated upright, only to find her face_ very close_ to Klaus.

"Sh, love, it can wait. What will one more day do?" Klaus said lowly, now looking up at her through his lashes, smirk at his lips.

Caroline took a shuddering breath. "I suppose."

They were silent again, for a while. Caroline noted the faraway look in Klaus' blue eyes, the deep-set pain that lay there. Without thinking, she brought a hand up to his cheek, turning his head so she could look him in the eye.

"You know what Mikael said about you is wrong… right?" She ventured, trying to gage his answer. "Klaus?" When he still said nothing, Caroline knew she had it. "You, know I may not have been around for… a _while_. But _I_ care about you." Her words once again protested against Mikael's. "I always will." She leant her forehead against his.

His eyes darkened and suddenly her lurched forward and pressed his lips roughly against hers. Caroline was taken by surprise but soon overcame it and kissed him right back and with just as much ferocity. The kiss was one of desperation, or reassurance that the other was alive. Soon enough, his hands were in her hair, pulling at the roots, and hers were wound tightly around his neck, pressing their chests flush together.

Then, just as suddenly as he kissed her, he pulled back.

"Forgive me, love. I couldn't help myself." He stated, breathing hard. Caroline could still see that same darkness in his eyes and had to fight not to shiver. Instead she just shook her head ruefully and tilted her head to capture his irresistible lips again.

This time the kiss started off gently, tenderly. It made Caroline's heart ache with love. But soon enough, things grew heated again as she deepened the kiss, tasting his tongue with hers. Her hand travelled down to the hem of his shirt and she ripped it off of him. In response, Klaus hooked her leg around his waist and flipped them at vampire speed. He was now looming over her with a dangerous smirk.

He leaned down and kissed her again, his lips eventually trailing from hers as he kissed his way to her neck. His teeth grazed the sensitive spot at her throat and Caroline gasped.

"Wait, wait…" She suddenly said, abruptly aware of their position. Klaus picked up at his and looked at her questioningly. "I just… Can we just… stay together? I don't think I can… I haven't forgiven you… yet. It's been a long day and, I just, I don't know…" She rambled on, unsure how to explain her feelings.

Klaus stared at her for moment and then seemed to understand her and roll off of her, but not before placing another kiss to the side of her neck.

"What now, love?" He asked as he lay next to her, and Caroline turned her head to meet his eyes. She was honestly rather surprised at his answer, his calmness. She would have thought that he would be more volatile on a day such as this… but, perhaps he changed in the last centuries, but not just in a bad way.

"Can we just… rest?" She ventured hesitantly. His response was simply to lift the covers for her, a clear invitation. When she crawled under them, he stayed on top, creating a barrier between. A line.

For a while Caroline tried to rest but the space in between was killing her. Eventually she gave into her urges and laid herself on his chest, her ear over his heart. Klaus, for his part, did not seem surprised, and only put an arm around her shoulders, holding her closer. The blankets stayed between them, but even Caroline realized that they were a lie. They wouldn't keep them from each other.

For now, however, Caroline felt comforted and soon enough she was drifting off to sleep.

"I love you, Caroline."

She wasn't sure whether or not she imagined the words, but, either way, she went to sleep with a smile on her face.

**I just want to apologize for the long wait for this chapter; I felt it was important to get this one right ;)**

**I was asked in the reviews why Caroline didn't mention to her friends the fact that the Originals' bloodlines would die with them if they were killed; this is for a very simple reason. Although Robb mentioned it to Caroline, none of them really have any idea about the sire lines or the extent to which they will affect the gang. Besides, this was just a **_**very **_**small part of what has been happening to Caroline, and even she can't remember every little thing. Hope that explains it!**

**The next update should be up within a week ;)**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	16. A Little More, A Little Less

**Thank you to Sci-fi Christian, OKBooey31, florabloom101, Aleandra Odinson, LuxAeterna113, Psyc0gurl0, CinderNella, khadur448, Evi15, ignore common sense, babyvfan, Marceliita16, Amy guest, PsychVamp, BiancaR, drewwnesss, carasderin, LadyKlaus, justine, Runaway'96, LittleMissBrit, Lovely Rain Dancer, BlueJean452, DawnWalnut, chillwithJyl, Clara, Sunfiresarah, ryanduong1, adamo393, ApekshaStar, and glevez25 for reviewing!**

**Just passed the 600 review mark :) You are all amazing :D**

**Oh, and that last episode… I think I died because of all the feels…**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.**

Chapter Fifteen

A Little More, A Little Less

_Mystic Falls, Virginia 2010_

Caroline woke feeling better rested than she had in weeks. She was shrouded in a happy warmth, still lying comfortably on Klaus' chest. She knew she should probably move away from him, but this was just so damn cozy, she couldn't bear the thought of it. Instead, she trailed her fingers lightly over the hard planes of his chest, sighing in contentment.

Her head told her that what she was doing was too fast, too soon. But her heart told her to damn it all. To take a chance.

For now, she decided to go with her heart. Truth is, she _missed_ Klaus so _much_… The way they used to be. She _loved_ him. She just wanted to be _allowed_ to love him like she used to.

So she continued to trail her fingers down his bare chest, eventually tracing the tattoo that now adorned his upper arm. He certainly did not used to have _that_ before.

She couldn't say she was displeased by it.

"Good morning." She was startled out of her thoughts by his voice and she tilted her head so that she was looking up into his face. He was smiling back down at her. It wasn't a smirk but a real, rare _smile_, with dimples and all. Caroline's heart skipped a beat.

"Morning." She whispered. Klaus' hand had somehow found itself under her shirt during the night and was now sitting on the small of her back, his thumb tracing small circles on her skin. He leaned closer to her so that his forehead was touching hers.

He made no further move, putting the ball in her court.

She arched up to place a short kiss to his lips, making her choice to just be there with him right now.

Neither spoke of what would happen next. They did not discuss Mikael, or the fact that Klaus was finally free of him. They didn't speak about the fact that she could have died or that he'd saved her and she him. In fact, they didn't say anything at all.

Caroline simply settled back in his embrace laying her head over his heart. She placed a gentle kiss to his chest, before snuggling back into him. Klaus' arms tightened around her, holding her close.

It was peaceful. _Right_.

And they both knew it wouldn't last.

* * *

Caroline sighed as she walked down into the half-finished parlor of Klaus' home. Her hair was still damp from her shower, and she wore one of his shirts and a pair of sweatpants she found, her own clothes being dirty with blood. Klaus had left an hour before, needing to check on some 'business'.

He didn't need to ask her to wait there for him. He knew that she wanted to talk to him. It was time they figured everything out.

Only, when she heard the door opening, signaling his return, she didn't get to have the talk she'd wanted.

"Were you a part of this?" Klaus growled ferociously at her, not bothering with a proper greeting. He was absolutely _livid_ and Caroline had no idea why.

"A part of _what_?" She asked, utterly bewildered.

"Stefan's little plan to take my family!" Now he was standing right in front of her, his nose almost touching hers. At this proximity, she could see the worry in his expression, hidden under all of that anger.

"No! Of course not! I care about them too, you know? How could you even _think_ that?" Caroline couldn't help but feel slightly offended that he thought she would do such a thing.

"All of _this_… it was just a distraction, wasn't it?" Klaus continued, scoffing to himself, adopting a betrayed expression. Immediately, Caroline felt her own anger dissipate; Klaus always had trouble trusting others, even her, and she realised that he was afraid that her affections weren't real.

"No, Klaus, _no_, it wasn't." She told him, almost tenderly. "I had no idea Stefan planned to take your family. I swear it."

"Why should I believe you?" He hissed, grabbing her upper arms roughly. She ignored the slight twinge of pain that came from his tight grip.

"Look at me Klaus, you _know_ me." Her hands now held his arms lightly, trying to get through to him. "Am I lying to you?"

For a moment, all was quiet, both still holding onto each other as his eyes searched hers for any signs of deception.

"I am sorry, love." Klaus said lowly after a short while, looking somewhat ashamed as his grip on her arms loosened.

Caroline swallowed, her nerves beginning to calm. "It's ok…" She moved hesitantly closer, worried that he would snap again. When he didn't do anything of the sort, she leaned into him, lifting a hand to his cheek. "We'll get them back."

"We?" Klaus asked gruffly, an eyebrow rising in question.

"Yes, we." She gave him a small smile.

"Caroline," Klaus began after a moment, "you do realize that we will be going against your friends."

"I know." She sighed. _Believe me, I know._ "I also know that I am the best chance that all of them _and_ you will make it out alive."

He regarded her for a moment. "Very well then."

"Klaus. Just please try not to harm them. For me." Her hand was still against his cheek, and trailed it so it was on the back of his neck. Her eyes implored with his.

"I cannot promise you anything." His words came out cautiously but it was a victory in Caroline's eyes.

"I know." She smiled. "Just try."

He nodded his consent, his fingers playing with a lock of her hair before he pulled her closer into his arms. He did not kiss her like she thought he would, only laid his forehead against hers again, like he had earlier that morning, sighing. He stayed like that for a brief moment, his face open and almost vulnerable. It was an oddly beautiful thing to witness.

And it was gone too soon as he placed a rough kiss to her forehead and his emotionless shield suddenly passed back over his expression. He pulled away from her abruptly, walking towards the door.

"Get dressed, will you, love?" He called over his shoulder. "We have work to do."

Sadness encompassed Caroline's heart as she witnessed the man she loved struggle with his emotions. But she put that to the side, along with thoughts of having a 'talk' with him.

Klaus was right, of course; they had work to do.

* * *

Caroline felt her stomach tumble with nervousness as she walked into the Mystic Grill. She felt Klaus walk in behind her, a hand on the small of her back. The two of them walked straight over to Elena and Damon where they stood close together.

"Don't mind me." Klaus said, interrupting their conversation. Caroline almost hesitated but Klaus pulled her forward, his arm circling around her waist firmly. She glanced up at him, questioningly, but he only threw her a pointed look.

"You gonna do this in the Grill?" Damon said by way of greeting. He didn't even look at her, focusing only on Klaus. His ignoring stung more than she would care to admit. "In front of everyone? It's a little beneath you, don't you think?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just came down to my local pub to grab a drink with my girl. Isn't that right, love?" Klaus looked purposefully back down at Caroline, smirking widely at her. She was just about to reply when Damon spoke once again, his voice laced with anger and disappointment.

"And you, Caroline, what are you doing? Have you completely _lost_ it? You're sleeping with the enemy! What, are you going to kill for him too? What the _hell_ is wrong with you?"

Despite the guilt that toiled in her stomach, Caroline found her eyes narrowing at the older Salvatore, her temper rising. "Look, Damon, think what you want. But I am here to help you. All of you." She glanced briefly to Elena, who looked away. Caroline then turned her eyes up to Klaus, making sure that he knew she included him into this equation. "I am the only one here who can try and control the situation, okay?" She turned back to Damon.

_Why can't you just trust me for a minute? _

"My sister seems to be missing. Need to sort that out, mate." Klaus said, getting back on topic, a proud smile on his face as he glanced down to Caroline briefly. She, in turn, felt gratitude.

She was grateful because, even though he would jump to her defense, he also let her fight her own battles. She was equal to him, and that was a rare thing in her life.

"Cute, blonde bombshell, pyscho. Shouldn't be too hard to find." The older Salvatore replied with no small amount of snark.

"Damon." Caroline intoned with a small glare.

"Truth is I've grown to rather like this town. Think I might fancy a home here. There are a few things that would keep me here." Klaus looked to Caroline again, smirking. "I suppose you are wondering how this will affect you… Well, I was convinced that it would be best if it doesn't affect you in the slightest." His eyes were still on Caroline's as he said this, telling the world that _she_ was the one doing the convincing. Abruptly, he looked back at Damon and Elena. "That is, if I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves. You can go on living your little lives however you choose. You have my word."

"What is that you want? What more could _possibly _want?" Elena spoke for the first time, ignoring Caroline's presence completely. The blonde vampire, in turn, tried to ignore the pain of her rejection.

"My sister, for one. Oh, and you could tell me where Stefan is while you're at it."

"Stefan skipped town the minute he helped Blondie save you." Damon directed another dark look at Caroline.

"Well that's a shame. You see, your brother stole from me. I need him found so I can take back what is mine."

"Look, he won't get hurt, Damon. You know he's my best friend. I would _never_ let anyone hurt him, even if he is being an idiot." Caroline added to Klaus' statement.

"Oh, so _he's_ the only idiot? That's news to me, Caroline." Damon couldn't resist another snarky comment.

"This seems like it's your problem, not ours." Elena said, almost harshly.

"Well, this is me broadening the scope, sweetheart." Klaus was not subtle about his threat as he leaned menacingly closer to the brunette. Caroline knew this could get out of hand any second and pulled on him, trying to make him move back. She only managed when Klaus gave in.

"Look, we're going to go, now. Think about what we said." She stated before walking agitatedly out of the Grill, with Klaus behind her.

His hand was once again on the small of her back, letting her know that she was not alone.

Caroline's throat tightened as her eyes filled with tears. She quickly swallowed them away, not wanting to show any weakness.

_How is that the supposed 'evil, daddy Hybrid' has my back and my _friends_ don't?_

* * *

"How could you do this?" Caroline hissed as she entered Klaus' bedroom, fury in her voice. _God! I should have known it was all too good to be true! _

"Do what, love?"

"How could you tell you're hybrid to hurt _Jeremy? _He's just a kid and he's my _friend!" _She yelled, shoving angrily at him as he tried to approach her.

"Don't worry, sweetheart, I know the boy would survive, what with that nifty little ring of his." Klaus replied with a sardonic smile.

"And if he wasn't wearing it?" Her question caused his smirk to drop, his face becoming stiff. "If he didn't have it? Would you still have done it?" He didn't answer. "Huh, that's what I thought." She scoffed, turning around to walk away.

"Caroline." A hand suddenly appeared on her arm.

"No!" She wrenched herself from his grasp, angrier than ever. "Just leave me alone, okay? I need some time to think."

As soon as the words were out, Caroline turned around and stalked off.

* * *

Caroline watched from the sidelines at Klaus put the dagger back through his sister's heart. She had returned only moments before, still angry and wanting to have another word with the Original hybrid.

But then she saw Rebekah, lying there next to her brother, and remembered that she was going to help Klaus.

She wasn't sure what to think of this, though, as the dagger slid back into the youngest surviving Mikaelson. Their earlier fight made her hesitant to say anything against him, even though she disapproved of this.

Her disapproval went out the window when he turned to look at his side and Caroline could see a single tear running down his cheek. She walked forward quietly until she was right behind him and wrapping her arms around his waist. She held him to her even as he froze, burying her face in his back, trying to give him some measure of comfort.

She wasn't sure if it was working when suddenly he turned and pulled her tightly into his arms, his face in the crook of her neck. He said nothing, nor did he sob out his feelings. No, he just held her, his back tense with worry, not making a single noise.

She ignored the wet feeling of tears on her neck and only continued running her fingers through his curls, murmuring words of comfort to him quietly.

* * *

"Stefan's really lost it, hasn't he?" Caroline voiced the question that had been inside her. She and Klaus were once again in his bedroom, sitting together in his bed. She had his hand clasped tightly in hers. Their earlier fight was nearly forgotten, though Caroline was sure it would come up again. All of this avoiding wouldn't last forever, much as she wanted it to.

Her mind went to other matters.

Stefan, her _best friend_ Stefan… He was so different now.

"Yes, I think so, love." Klaus replied, almost ironically. Caroline decided to ignore his tone, her mind too full with worry for her oldest friend.

"I've never seen him like this. So vengeful. Full of hate." She admitted. It was true, the Stefan she knew would never have threatened to drive Elena off a bridge. The Stefan she knew would never look at her with so much disappointment.

Was it wrong for her to want everything? She wanted to be with Klaus, she wanted to admit she had forgiven him and _not feel guilty for every minute she spent with him._ But she also wanted her friends. She wanted them to _understand_, like she understood. She wanted to be able to talk to Elena and Bonnie about this stuff, she wanted to make fun of Damon, she wanted Stefan to call her _bella_ again.

Nothing was black and white, couldn't they see that?

"Do you blame me for making him like this?" Klaus asked, his voice holding curiosity.

"I don't know… You're not exactly faultless in this whole situation, Nik. I mean what you did… it was terrible. But, we're old. You're not the only one who has done terrible things." She replied with honesty.

_We're all shades of gray. _

"What now then, sweetheart?"

"I'm still sticking to what I said before. I won't let you hurt him."

Klaus simply nodded in acquiescence.

Nothing more was said.

* * *

Caroline watched with relief as Klaus slowly pushed the last coffin back into place. They had finally managed to get the Original family back together again, minus one coffin. She knew nothing was anywhere near solved but, for now, she planned to at least take this as a win.

"They're all together again, Klaus." Caroline said, shooting a smile at the Original as he turned to face her. "_You're_ all together again." He approached her slowly, walking up to her and placing his hands on her cheeks, giving her forehead a quick, gentle peck.

"That we are, love." Caroline found the hidden behind those words and had to fight off a blush.

"Will you open them?"

"Soon, sweetheart, but not yet… We still have some unfinished business to take care of…" Caroline knew immediately that he meant Stefan and his current possession of Esther's body. Klaus had told her about it after they made up from the fight. Caroline hadn't been happy about it at first because it was _another_ lie but eventually she found herself having some small measure of understanding. She still wasn't happy about it but there was nothing she could do about it now but to help Klaus in his endeavor to get her back.

She was snapped out of her thoughts when Klaus pulled her away from the coffin room, taking her by the hand. He nodded to the hybrid at the door, indicating that he should stay on guard. The hybrid looked like he was about to say something when his mouth suddenly opened wide with surprise. There was a disgusting squelch sound and the hybrid's eyes soon lost its light.

As he fell to the floor, he revealed another person to her and Klaus. A very familiar person holding the heart of the hybrid tight in his now bloody hand.

_Elijah._

Caroline froze in her shock, her hand gripping Klaus' tighter.

"So, Niklaus." The older Original said, briefly glancing at Caroline. "What did I miss?" Elijah continued. "You look surprised to see me. So it wasn't you that removed the dagger from my chest?" This time when he glanced at Caroline, he kept his piercing gaze on her. "What about you Caroline?" He scrutinized her shocked expression. "No, it wasn't you, either." He decided in the end, his gaze lingering a second longer before returning to that of his brother.

"You look like you could do with a drink." Klaus said almost nervously, stationing himself so he was in front of Caroline, a subconscious act of protection. "And we have a lot to discuss, so shall we?" He gestured to the dining room behind them.

Elijah seemed to have different ideas, however, as he jumped towards his younger sibling. Klaus was quick enough to push Caroline out of the way but, in doing that, he couldn't avoid the blow himself; he went flying back, breaking through the glass door behind him.

Klaus was steady on all fours in an instant, while Caroline just barely got over the sudden shock of being pushed across the room. "_Easy_." He growled menacingly. "I just finished renovating." In the next moment, Klaus had a hold on Elijah. "You know you have every right to be mad at me. But I kept my word, I reunited you with our family."

Finally, Caroline oriented herself and started towards the brothers. Panic rose through her as Elijah attacked Klaus again, only for Klaus to open one of the coffins (_Kol's, _her mind reminded her) and pull out a dagger.

Caroline froze as the Originals stood in a stalemate. She was unsure on what to do. She wanted desperately to help them, but how could she? She was barely a match for one Original, let alone _two._ She wouldn't be able to stop them fighting.

She found herself watching them with wide eyes, her heart beating fast with worry.

"Don`t make me do this to you again Elijah!" Klaus shouted.

"Come on. Use it. I dare you. You'll have Kol to deal with."

"Mikael is dead." Klaus said after a moment, stepping back from his elder brother.

"What did you say?" Said elder brother looked more shocked than Caroline had ever seen him.

"I killed him. With his own weapon. He's gone Elijah. Forever." _And good riddance to him, _Caroline thought, her eyes narrowing and anger rising at the mere mention of the 'father of the millenium'.

"Why do our family remain in these coffins? Finn for over 900 years, Kol for over a century." Caroline had never met Finn, so Elijah's words about him did not really affect her. But Kol… Kol had saved her life once. They hadn't really seen much of each other when she was with them, but, when they had, it had always been… _eventful._ Caroline didn't quite miss him but she did feel guilty that she was partly responsible that he wasn't out enjoying the world. He shouldn't be daggered. She knew that Klaus hated being without his family, but he was a cautious man, a _controlling _man. He was scared to open the coffins because he would rather lose his family on _his _terms than on theirs.

The whole business was just plain complicated and Caroline still didn't if she was doing the right thing here.

"Because of Stefan Salvatore." She heard Klaus replying. "He holds the one thing keeping me from freeing them. There are things that you do not know about our past, Elijah. Our mother's death. Things I never wanted you to know but I`m ready to tell you now. I only ask that you remember the oath of loyalty you once swore to me."

He went back to Kol's coffin, standing over it. Caroline was almost tempted to try and stop him. She didn't.

"What are you doing?" Elijah asked.

Klaus slid the dagger back into his younger brother's heart.

"Always and forever. I need you to stand by my side. Be my brother. Help me destroy Stefan and I promise you our family will be whole again."

It was only when Klaus closed the coffin's lid that Caroline finally approached him. Elijah was watching his brother warily, but resignedly and she knew he wouldn't start with another reckless attack again. She didn't glance at him for more than a second, however, her eyes instead focusing on Klaus, the way his shoulders were tensed, the way his eyes reflected his true age. She knew he was feeling more than he was letting on.

Klaus seemed to be watching her as well as he closed the distance between them, his hands immediately going to cup her cheeks.

"Are you alright?" He asked in low voice, eyes burning into hers.

"I'm fine, Klaus." Caroline covered his hand with hers briefly. He nodded once and pulled away, turning back to his brother. She observed the two Originals whilst her mind wandered.

_Am I really fine? _

Caroline herself wasn't even sure. Everything was beginning to take its toll.

_Why can't all this crap just be easy for once?_

* * *

The days after Elijah's awakening, Caroline barely saw either of the Mikaelson brothers. They were scheming together, she knew. She also knew that Klaus needed to reconnect with his older brother. Still, she found it difficult not to feel rather… put to the side by them both.

There was a rare moment, however, when she caught one of them alone. She didn't hesitate to join Elijah where he stood outside in the large garden. For a while, the made simple small talk, that is, until Elijah voiced a rather unexpected opinion.

"Caroline, I must say, I certainly didn't expect to find you with my wayward brother. Last I knew, you didn't remember a thing about us." He told her.

"Well, my own wayward brother took care of that." She replied with irony.

"Robb? But he is long dead." Elijah looked at her quizzically, his normally wise and calm eyes filled with confusion.

"Yes, but Mystic Falls isn't exactly your normal town." She offered no further explanation and he asked for none. "Elijah…" Caroline hesitated for a second. "What are you doing, really? I find it hard to believe that you are truly on Nik's side… You're planning something, aren't you?"

"You always were too clever for your own good, dear girl." The affectionate term hit Caroline hard; he hadn't called her that since she was human. She found she quite liked it. Out of all of Klaus' siblings, Elijah was the one that Caroline had felt the most connected to, even after he disappeared back in 1551. He had always been good to her, and had saved more times than she could count.

Still, that didn't stop her from questioning his intentions. "Are you going to hurt him?" She asked plainly, bluntly.

"You mean do I plan to kill him?" She nodded. "No. Niklaus may be many things but he is still my brother." Elijah turned to look her straight in the eye. "That does not mean he does not deserve to be punished for his crimes, of course, but I will not be the one who will end his life forever. You have my word on that, Caroline."

"Good." Caroline replied, getting closer to him. "Because, if you did plan to, you would have to go through _me_." She cocked her head, regarding him carefully. "Now I may not be an Original, and I may not be the most aggressive of vampires, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. I wouldn't let him get hurt without a fight."

"I thought you might say that." Elijah smiled sardonically down at her.

"So, we're understood?" She asked, ignoring his last comment.

"Yes, we are." Elijah confirmed, amusement dancing on his usually stoic features.

"Okay." She nodded before she adopted a tentative expression. She wasn't sure whether or not she should continue with what she wanted to say… In the end she decided to simply do it.

"But, Elijah, just... be careful."

Elijah seemed surprised by her statement and she noticed his eyes softened the tiniest bit towards her.

"You needn't worry about me. I have always been the cautious one of my siblings." He touched her shoulder briefly.

"I know. I wanted to remind you, anyways." She smiled at him and backed away. "I'm going to go. Don't forget what I said."

She didn't wait for his nod as she blurred away.

* * *

It was only a few hours after her conversation with Elijah that Caroline came to a very important realization. She really had forgiven Klaus. She really, really had. She wasn't denying it anymore. Why else was she so determined to protect him? Why else was she always feeling so guilty?

She couldn't wait another moment and burst into Klaus' studio unexpectedly. He turned around just in time for him to catch as she ran up to him and placed a fevered kiss to his lips. He returned it after only a moment, one arm cinching tightly around her waist, his other hand tangled in her hair.

They kissed for what seemed like forever until finally she pulled back.

"Not that I am displeased by this turn of events, sweetheart, but what brought that on?" Klaus asked as soon as their lips parted from each other's.

"I forgive you." She told him. "Klaus, I forgive you."

For a moment, he only looked shocked. But, soon enough his face brightened with pleasure, whilst his eyes darkened with something that made a shiver run up Caroline's spine.

The next thing she knew his lips had captured hers and he was kissing her even more ferociously than before. It wasn't gentle or loving like their touches had been these past two weeks. No, it was something darker, sinful and full of passion. It was all biting and licking and sucking.

Caroline gasped as Klaus slammed her into the wall, her entire body jarring with the contact. Klaus didn't even flinch, trailing his lips down her cheek and to the hollow of her throat. One of his hands was on the wall behind her, locking her in place whilst the other went to her thigh, pulling her up so that both of her legs were linked around his waist. She let out a small moan as he continued to kiss that sensitive part of her throat, her fingers digging into his shoulders. His hands were now working at her shirt, and he pulled back from her throat only to pull it off, leaving her clad only in a bra.

For a moment the both of them went no further. Klaus' lust-filled eyes met hers, as if asking her permission. Caroline hesitated only a second. _If I do this, there's no more avoiding, no more looking the other way…_ But she wanted him, so _bad_.

She nodded and, quick as lightning, his mouth returned to her throat. He didn't linger there long, his tongue still doing wicked things to her as kissed down her chest. He pressed her tighter against the wall.

Soon enough, it wasn't only her shirt that was lying on the floor.

In the midst of it all, Caroline only heard one thing, clear as day.

"I love you."

This time she was sure she hadn't dreamed it.

**Well, I hope you all enjoyed it! I was originally going to add in the awakening of the rest of the Mikaelson but I kind of think that could take up a whole other chapter soo… Luckily I have some of those scene already written sooo the next chapter should be up soon!**

**Next chapter: Original family goodness, some klaroline conflict, some more revelations, and some solutions ;D**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	17. Family, Friends, Foes

**Thank you to maytesalvatore, Philippe Holden, Thehungergames vampire diaries, imaddictedtocarrots, babyfan, LittleMissBrit, Runaway'96, justine, Sunfiresarah, adventuretohappiness, Lord of Sin, Libbybiddulph, Marceliita16, **_**Guest**_**, Clara, CharlSmith, carasedrin, Tardis356, drewwnesss, to-shy-to-say-hi, First Quadrant, chillwithJyl, ForWhoCouldEverLoveABeast, PsychVamp, BlueJean452, ApekshaStar, ILoveAllBooksTVDKlaroline-Kol, and Lovely Rain Dancer for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: I still do not own TVD. Nope. Not at all.**

Chapter 16

Family, Friends, Foes

_Mystic Falls, 2010_

Caroline sat next to Klaus in his bed, a look of satisfaction and contentment on her face. After a night of… daring escapades, they both ended up in his bed, but she was too wired to get any rest. Instead, she sat curled next to him, wearing nothing but his shirt, playing with his fingers and talking to him.

Caroline hadn't felt this happy in a _very_ long time. She was sure she was glowing.

Of course, she knew they wouldn't be able to stay like this for long. They still had things to do, first and foremost of which was getting the last of the coffins. After this was done, Caroline was unsure of what would happen next. She knew he wanted to awaken his family, but is Caroline knew Klaus, which she did, she realized that he would be hesitant and it would take some convincing from her (and Elijah she gathered) to do so.

She also knew that she shouldn't just focus on Klaus' problems; she had quite a few of her own. Her friends, for one. She didn't want to stay like this indefinitely. Cut off from them. That's the _last_ thing she wanted.

Well, she would just have to find a way to convince them that she was genuine and that Klaus was not pure evil as they thought he was.

Thinking on this dampened Caroline's spirits and, in a moment of silence between her and the Original, she tried to get up from the bed. Klaus, of course, would have none of it and immediately pulled her back to him protest, causing her to sit in between his legs, with his strong arms wrapped around her waist.

"Klaus." She sighed. "I really have to get up, you know we have a lot to do." Though outwardly she looked to be annoyed, she was smiling widely on the inside, thinking of all the times he used to do the same thing back in the 1550s.

She's missed this. Him.

"No." Klaus practically growled, his lips moving against her ear, causing a shiver to run down Caroline's spine. She struggled half-heartedly for a moment, but knew she wouldn't be able to escape the cage of his arms. Not that she really wanted to.

But, Caroline had a few tricks of her own. She twisted her head so she was looking up at Klaus and the minute his eyes met hers, she leant up and kissed him. She pushed all of her passion and love into that kiss, deepening it quickly. Her hands came up to tangle in his curls, and she pulled his head closer to her. Eventually his arms around her waist loosened and Caroline realized foggily through her pleasure that this was her chance. She was almost tempted to stay where she was, however.

Almost.

The next thing Klaus knew, Caroline was standing across the room, free from his embrace and a wide, triumphant smirk playing at her lips.

"Vixen." Klaus stated, still reclining in the bed, realizing that she'd tricked him.

Caroline laughed, before smiling sunnily at him "At your service, m'lord." She replied mockingly, throwing in a small, playful curtsy. Klaus stood and approached her, almost predatorily. She laughed a little as she backed up, feigning escape. When Klaus was close, she blurred so she was behind him. She almost made it away before he grabbed her forearm, using his superior speed against her. He pulled her close against him, until she was flush against his chest. His head was swooping down, his lips only a few centimeters from hers. Caroline knew that they really didn't have time for any more... _distractions_. "So what's going to happen now?" She interrupted quickly, stopping Klaus in his path. He let a small, disappointed groan in response before giving her a knowing smile, to which she only shrugged. "What have you and Elijah been scheming about?"

She looked at him expectantly, until finally he sighed and backed away, leaving a safe amount of space between them. He took her hand in his, though, not willing to part from her any more than he had to, not after so many years without each other.

"He has _convinced_ me to take council with the Salvatore brothers, like civilized men." Klaus smirked with irony. "They are coming to dinner."

Caroline swallowed her shock.

"Well, _that'll_ go well." She replied sarcastically. The Original just looked at her pointedly, to which she sighed and nodded, knowing she would just have to deal with it. She couldn't avoid her friends any longer, even if they were at odds right now. They were her friends, after all. So, instead of commenting further, she tightened her hand around Klaus' and pulled it so it was in between both of hers. "Listen, Klaus, I know you're happy to have your big brother back but… don't think it's strange how fast he returned to your side?"

"Caroline." She could already see the anger already mounting in his eyes and was quick to bring a hand to the side of his face, forcing him to look down at her.

"No, hear me out, okay?" Her eyes looked deeply into hers. "I'm not saying to leave him behind or dagger him or whatever. Just be… _cautious_." For a moment, Caroline was afraid that she only made him more angry, but soon enough it faded, leaving a shadow of fragile vulnerability.

"I know." He said lowly.

Caroline gave him a small, sweet smile. "Good." She whispered, squeezing his hand once before stepping back from him and letting him go. "I'm going to get ready, okay?" She turned to walk to his bathroom, wanting nothing more than to take a nice, hot shower.

"You know, sweetheart, you need not join us. Elijah and I can take care of the bloody Salvatores." Klaus called out after her, growling the last part.

She turned to look at him, a knowing smile on her face. "True. But I have a point to make. Besides, I might just be able to keep the testosterone levels down to a minimum, tonight."

* * *

Caroline shifted nervously from foot to foot, smoothing the fabric of her rather short dressing. She hadn't exactly had much choice when she went to her house to look for something appropriate to wear to this dinner. She'd decided that this would have to do. The dress was white lace, coming to just above her knees, with elbow-length sleeves. It was a bit impractical but Klaus' face when he saw her in it was well worth it.

For some reason this dinner was making Caroline anxious. She just felt that something was sure to go wrong. And, her friends and her weren't exactly on the best of terms right now. She didn't have anymore to think about it though when she heard Elijah open the door and then the familiar voices of the Salvatore brothers.

Caroline stood by Klaus' side as he greeted said brothers. "Damon. Stefan. Elijah tells me, you seek an audience. Very bold. Let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilised men, shall we?" He gestured to the table he had laid out for them.

"It's better to indulge him." Caroline put in after seeing the look Damon and Stefan shared. This caused the Salvatores to finally look to her.

"Blondie. I guess we should have expected to find you here." Damon said after a moment, his body tense, whilst Stefan simply glowered; she didn't allow herself to flinch under their combined gazes.

"Boys." She greeted in return, nodding slightly.

Immediately after the friends' stiff hellos, Stefan began to protest against Klaus' 'dinner plans'. Of course, Klaus was quick to put him down.

Caroline sighed, knowing that this would be a long, _long_ night.

* * *

"Isn't this nice? Five of us dining together? Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger from my brother?" Klaus directed this question to Damon. The dinner had been progressing slowly, and Caroline could easily see that it was frustrating the Salvatores, especially Stefan. But, she knew that this was part of Klaus' scheme; much as she sometimes wanted to deny, Klaus was a master at playing people. It was a part of who he was. _He's never played me, though, not really._

She was seated in between the Original hybrid and Damon, almost like a barrier between the two. For the most part, she had been silent, which was at odds with her character, but needed in this situation. Caroline may be bubbly and talkative by nature but she was also old, and intelligent. She knew when she should take a step back and simply observe, but be ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

This was most definitely one of those times.

"Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more, the merrier." Damon replied with bright smile.

"Well, Elijah and I have had our share of quarrels over the century. But we always make it through." The younger Original looked over to his brother with a smirk.

"Kind of like you and Rebekah, right?" Stefan said sardonically, causing Klaus to look over to him. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her." Caroline could see the anger building up in Klaus, and quietly put her hand on his knee, reminding him to keep calm. She could immediately see some tension leaving his shoulders. All of this was unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know him.

"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah." He replied as if nothing had happened, once again looking to his brother. His hand moved for a moment to squeeze hers, before moving swiftly away. Caroline allowed herself a small smile and then pulled away as well.

"Hey, Stef, remember when you killed dad? Might want to dial down the judgment until dessert." Damon intoned sarcastically.

"We're here to make a deal, Damon. Doesn't mean we need to kiss his ass for seven courses." The younger Salvatore replied ferociously. _Stef, careful, you can't win here. _

"I'm just saying we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."

For once Caroline couldn't agree more with Damon. Like she'd thought earlier; it was _definitely_ going to be a long night.

* * *

Caroline tried not to let her annoyance show when the topic of doppelgängers was brought up. She loved Elena like a sister, but her two predecessors? Not so much. Katherine, for obvious reasons, just one of them being the fact that she _slaughtered_ her family. And, Tatia… well she, of course, had never met Tatia, but from little Klaus had mentioned of her, Caroline had the distinct she would not have liked the girl.

And, loathe as she was to admit, her name often brought up a spark of dark jealousy in her.

"But in the end we realized the sacred bond of family." Caroline heard Klaus say, her thought snapping away from her rather dark feelings. She smiled at the Original brothers, a sparkling of pride in her.

"Family above all." The elder Original said.

Both Elijah and Klaus raised their glasses to each other.

"Family above all." Klaus repeated.

"And, Caroline? Do you value your family above her, as well?" Stefan pointed out after a moment, looking at the blonde vampire in their midst, as if trying to tell her that what the Mikaelson brothers had just said meant that she was not important to them. She was about to open her mouth and come back with a snarky reply when Elijah, who came to her defense, surprised her.

"Well, Stefan," He addressed the younger Salvatore, his voice conveying calmness but his eyes conveying something completely different. "I think I can speak for my brother when I say this. Caroline _is_ family. You would be wise to remember that."

This cause both Salvatore brothers to looked shocked, if only for a moment. Caroline smiled, _maybe they'll finally get it now._

"Besides, Tatia paled in comparison to, mate." Klaus added, his voice holding a conspiratorial tone as he leaned closer so he was looking straight at Stefan. Caroline could see the anger in his eyes, and, though she hated to see either Mikaelson angry in any way, she was secretly quite pleased about their reactions. _They really do care about me, _she thought in wonder.

This only cemented her decision to make sure they all stayed safe.

* * *

Caroline's good feelings drained somewhat as talk shifted to deal that could be made between the two parties. She listened as Klaus bargained for Elena, frowning. _Even now, I still live under her shadow, the perfect Petrova doppelgänger._ Immediately after the thought popped into her head, Caroline felt guilty. She shouldn't think about Elena like that, it wasn't _her_ fault; she was _born_ into this.

But she couldn't help but feel some of her jealousy from earlier return. Klaus _still_ wanted to create hybrids, he was still focused on his stupid mission. _Maybe I should have insisted to be there when he and Elijah made all of these plans, I could have told him what an idiot he's being. _Of course, Caroline wouldn't be able to say a thing now, not with the Salvatores there. Much as she loved her friends, she knew they would use any weakness to get to Klaus, and if they started fighting amongst themselves… well, it was a recipe for disaster.

"So, what do you say Stefan, do we have a deal?" Klaus said, referring to the offer he made about protecting Elena while she lived a long, _human_ life. (Though not for Elena's personal happiness.)

She watched, surprised as Stefan made his way over to Klaus.

"What are you doing?" Caroline agreed silently with Damon. What _was_ he _doing? _Even Caroline, who wanted a deal to be struck, knew that the brothers would get the short end of the stick if they agreed to this.

Klaus held his hand out to Stefan, and the younger Salvatore grabbed it resolutely. She realized that things would not be going how Klaus thought they would when Stefan kept his hold on the Original a little _too_ long to be genuine.

"Nice try, Klaus." Stefan said. "But no deal." _This is _not_ going to end well._

No one could stop what happened next as Klaus reacted faster than any of them anticipated. He angrily broke Stefan's arm, before kicking his leg broken as well. In the next moment, the Original held Stefan's hand in the fireplace, causing the younger vampire to cry out in pain. Caroline watched helplessly as Elijah stopped Damon from rushing over to his brother, holding him to a wall.

Caroline could hardly bear to see this violence between her friends and her… family. She was torn between helping and staying where she was, her heart panicking for the younger vampires.

She forced herself to remember Klaus' earlier words to her.

"_You have to trust me, sweetheart, no matter what it might seem that I do, I will not harm your friends… permanently, that is." Klaus said, holding on to the top of shoulders and looking her in the eye._

"_Klaus, you—" Caroline began before she was interrupted._

"_You have _my word_, Caroline. I swear this to you."_

It was this promise that stopped Caroline from going to Stefan's aid as Klaus continued to hold his arm over the fire. He wouldn't break it, not now, after everything they had been through.

That didn't mean she didn't flinch at Stefan's groans of pain.

"Stop!" Damon yelled.

"Now, bring me my coffin before I burn him alive." The hybrid replied. _He won't really do it. He won't. He knows how much Stefan means to you._

"I'll get it." The other vampire said, frustration clear in his voice.

"Go with him, brother, you keep him honest. And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family."

"I'll go too, Klaus." Caroline stated; she couldn't bear to see this anymore.

She followed Elijah and Damon with a heavy heart.

* * *

Caroline was surprised when they entered the coffin room, and even more so when she saw that one of them was left suspiciously open. She turned around to look at Elijah questioningly, only to find him looking back with an apologetic expression.

"I am so very sorry for this, Caroline, my dear. Would that there was another way." He said, sincerity in his voice. _Oh no.._

"Elijah, what are you-?" Caroline started before turning back around with realization. She blurred to the open coffin in the blink of an eye. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw what was in it. Or rather what _wasn't_ in it. It was empty. She glanced up to Elijah with panic in her eyes. "What have you done?" She demanded, lowly.

"I hope you forgive me for this, dear girl." She was about spit back a comment that_ hell no, he did not get to get away with this,_ when she felt hands on the back of her neck and realized that Damon was no longer in her eyeline.

_Snap!_

* * *

Her head was pounding, the lights that shone behind her closed eyes burning into her skull. The black that Caroline had been floating in began to recede and with it came all of the pains of living. She groaned as a sharp stab of pain ripped its way through her head. She thought that she could vaguely hear a voice through all of the agony.

With all of what little energy she had left, Caroline tried to push it all away and focused instead on the familiar voice.

"Caroline, love? That's it." The world around was shaped in blurs as she blinked, once, twice. "Open your eyes for me." Eventually she found the strength to keep her eyes open and found the person she loved most in the world standing over her, a worried and angry expression covering his features.

"Klaus?" She asked, her voice croaking.

His face softened immediately and he brought an achingly gentle to the side of her face, stroking her cheek softly with his thumb. "It's me, sweetheart."

"What happened?" She found herself asking, until all of the memories suddenly passed through her mind. She suddenly sat up despite her obvious weakness, her mind a flurry of panic. "Wait, Elijah he-"

"I know." Klaus silenced her, pressing her calmly back down into the pillows. He wore an odd look of happiness and sadness on his face;

"You mean, your family's-?"

"Yes." He confirmed with a brisk nod.

…

_Oh. Wow. Just… okay. Wow._

The Originals, all of the Mikaelson siblings, were _awake_. The last time this had happened was more than nine centuries ago; Caroline wondered what this meant for Mystic Falls, for her home. She scanned Klaus' face, noticing he still had that peculiar look, clearly far away in his thoughts. She decided it was perhaps best to leave him to it, after all, this had to come as more of a shock to _him_ than anyone else.

But she was just so damn _curious._

"Well, come on! Tell me what happened." She finally burst, unable to take the unknowing silence any longer.

Klaus' turmoil-filled eyes met hers, and, for a moment, Caroline was sure he would say nothing, that he would lock himself and his feelings in a tiny little box in the corner of his mind like he usually did.

"They were going to leave me but something happened, Caroline, you won't believe it-" Klaus was barely beginning his tale when they were interrupted by his bedroom door banging open unexpectedly. With a whoosh, someone she had not seen a long time stood over them.

"Is that the young Ms. Forbes I hear? Have you joined us in the land of the living, darling?" He looked down at her with a smirk, so much like his brother's.

"L…" Caroline caught herself, not wanting to fall onto her old days as a servant, shaking her head as she tried to make sense in her foggy mind. "_Kol?" _She exclaimed instead, her voice incredulous.

The youngest Mikaelson brother's smirk widened at her obvious surprise.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Caroline." He grabbed her hand and placed a kiss to the back of it, before letting go and winking at her conspiratorially, to which Caroline had no idea how to react. "Nik here was more grumpy than usual during your absence. And, might I add, you do look stunning for your age."

"_Kol_." Klaus growled menacingly, annoyed.

"Relax, brother." Kol held up both hands in a placating gesture. "Only having a bit of fun."

"Um, Klaus, _what is going on?_" Caroline asked, by now utterly confused. She'd thought there would be feuding between the siblings, not… _this._

Just as the hybrid was about to reply, they were once again interrupted by someone entering the room.

"Niklaus. I hear your lady friend has awoken." A distinctly female voice said. Caroline looked up to see a beautiful, regal-looking blonde woman standing in the doorway, her clothing of a time long passed. Caroline was sure she didn't know the woman and yet there was something eerily familiar about her…

"Yes, she has, this is Caroline." Klaus said, looking at the woman like he knew her, gesturing to the blond vampire where she lay in her bed as he introduced them. "Caroline, this is my mother." He looked down at her with a half-smile as she adopted an appropriately shocked expression. "Esther."

_Well._

_I didn't see _that_ coming. When he said his family was awake, I didn't think he meant _all_ of them._

In that moment, Caroline knew that things were definitely going to change in Mystic Falls.

It was not every day that the most powerful family in the entire world arrived at your doorstep, after all.

**Ok guys, I hope you enjoyed it! We are nearing the end of this story, just four more chapters to go and then the epilogue!**

**Is it just me, or does Caroline always seem to get knocked out in my stories? I should really sort all of that out.**

**Next chapter: More Originals, Klaus' thoughts, and some long-awaited confrontations.**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	18. Back Again

**Thank you to ilyreid (x2), Runaway'96, xxkamqxx, jennyhale, babyvfan, StefanxKlaus14, ApekshaStar, Milly, **_**Guest,**_** Pem (x2), BelieveDreamsComeTrue, Sci-fi Christian, Clara, Psyc0gurl0, sayli, carasedrin, BlueJean452, chillwithJyl, MarsterRoo, justine, Christobel, Sunfiresarah, PsychVamp, Lovely Rain Dancer and glevez25 for reviewing!**

**Get ready for a little surprise… ;)**

**Disclaimer: Nope, don't own TVD!**

Chapter Seventeen

Back Again

_Mystic Falls, 2010_

Esther Mikaelson had spent a thousand years in a coffin, planning exactly what she would do when she was finally released. She knew her mission. When the witches first told her of it, she had protested. How could they ask her to kill her children?

Rebekah, who wanted nothing more than her mother back. Kol, who, even after all this time, was still a boy. Finn, her lovely Finn. Elijah, with all of his morality. Even Niklaus...

She had wanted to save them, she wasn't about to kill them. And that was when the witches made her feel the consequences of her actions. She saw her precious kill.

Rebekah, in petty jealousy. Kol, looking for a thrill. Finn, by accident. Elijah, only when it was 'moral'. And Niklaus... He was the worst of them all, absolutely ruthless. He was angrier than ever before, and he made no qualms about showing it to the world.

Her children became twisted by darkness, just as she did. She felt their every kill, heard their victims pleading for their lives right before a neck snapped.

Eventually, it became too much for her and she agreed with the witches, thinking that they would put an end to her misery.

Instead they continued showing her an onslaught of images, forcing her to watch as her children burned the earth.

At first she hated the witches for this until her blame shifted one day, and she started to resent her children.

So she began to plan how she would finally end it.

And now her carefully laid out plan had been ruined by the presence of one girl.

Caroline Forbes.

There was a time when Esther would have rejoiced at the fact that one of her sons had finally found a woman, especially Niklaus. In all truth, has they been human, she would have given her blessing to the couple.

Now, however, she was nothing but a nuisance. One whom she was sure would only serve to foil her plans. The girl would do anything for her son, and she was intelligent. A deadly combination.

Esther had to do the linking spell, it was the most viable option of getting rid of the vampire curse. When her children died, the rest would with them. The problem with this was Caroline.

She could link Caroline's blood to that of her children, that much was obvious. But there was also something else. It was as if the girl had protection. At first Esther had assumed it was the protection of a powerful witch, but then she realized that it was something else. Something ghostly.

Simply put, Caroline was a variable. A risk she could not afford. One that Esther would have to snuff out.

For the sake of her mission.

* * *

Klaus was quiet as he exited the room his mother had led him to, after his little spat with his younger siblings. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe as he watched her, his Caroline.

She was laughing at something Kol had said, shaking her head with incredulity. Her blonde curls were splayed across her shoulders as she turned to look at his sister, smiling. Klaus was hit with the sudden urge to draw her, happy as she was.

Sometimes it was difficult for the Original to believe she had come back to him. He had spent so long without her, dreaming of her, that this felt like a dream.

Only it wasn't. It was real and she was here, with him, really with him.

They were both not the same people they used to be, but they still matched. Just as he hoped they always would.

It seemed she could sense his eyes when she glanced up at him and smiled, blue eyes sparkling. Klaus felt his own lips turning up in response.

It was then that Klaus realized something fundamental. Despite all of their problems, the people out to get them, he was... happy.

And, if there was one thing that was more important to than anything it was keeping the source of his happiness safe.

* * *

The last thing Caroline expected Esther Mikaelson to do only days after her awakening was throw a ball. But, she supposed she shouldn't have expected anything, the Mikaelson family had always surprised her. Apart from their first, rather awkward meeting, Caroline had not seem much of Esther, she was seemingly always busy with something or other.

Caroline didn't mind, however, something about Klaus' mother set her teeth on edge.

As for Klaus' siblings, she was getting along surprisingly well with everyone. Apart from Finn who she barely ever saw either, the Mikaelson brood were slowly becoming a real family again, and she was happy she could see it.

Kol, who had once terrified her, was quite a trickster, and had penchant for flirting and getting on Nik's nerves. Rebekah, was, as always, strong willed and often came to Caroline for some girl talk or advice. And Elijah, good, honorable Elijah, well he kept them all together.

Then there was Klaus, of course, her Klaus, with who she was currently sitting in his bedroom, as they talked about the upcoming event. She was sitting against the backboard of his bed, smiling as she watched Klaus' hand fly over his paper from where he was occupying the sofa.

"Do you know how long it's been since we have done this?" He looked up to her, a smirk playing at his lips. "Too long, that's what." She continued, scooting forward and rolling onto her stomach, her chin placed on top her hands. For a while nothing more was said, both content to jus be in each other's presence, until Caroline noticed the darkening of the sky. She stood up from the bed, stretching languidly, briefly realizing that she would need a dress for tonight.

"Anyways, I have to go home, I think I have something in my closest that I can wear..." She said, her mind only half on him as she mentally went through her shamefully meager dress options. Suddenly a hand appeared in her view and she looked to see Klaus holding it out to her.

"Come, I have something to show you, love..." He told her.

"Klaus, I really do have to get ready." Caroline replied, hesitating for only a slight second.

"I know. It's just here." Klaus took the initiative and took her by the hand, leading her to the adjacent room. She was just about to protest when she saw what was there waiting for her.

In the middle of the room-slash-closet was a mannequin displaying one of the most beautiful dresses she had ever seen. It was blue, like one he had given her centuries ago, with a jeweled corset piece. It was elegant and stunning.

"Oh, wow, it's so beautiful." She breathed, pulling her hand out of Nik's and rushing forward, acting like an excited schoolgirl.

Klaus for his part just chuckled, following her at a slower pace. "A beautiful dress for a beautiful woman." He said, by now standing right behind her, his hands on her hips.

"Thank you. I love it." She said, looking back and smiling.

Klaus dropped a slow kiss to her shoulder. "Well I am glad you do, because I'll be waiting to see you in it, sweetheart." He whispered this lowly in her ear causing a delicious shiver to run up her spine.

"Well then," Caroline said, turning around completely so she was leaning into his chest. "I should change into it... Maybe you can help me?"

A slow, pleased smirk spread across Klaus' lips.

* * *

Caroline was extremely nervous as she and Klaus made their way to the ballroom, her new dress hanging perfectly off her shoulders; she felt like she was a spectacle, Caroline Forbes known only to most of the townspeople as a high school student and Miss Mystic Falls, who had now caught the eye of the most eligible 'bachelor' in town, after seeing her standing on the stairs with him and his family. It had been a long time since she had felt this way and she worked to suppress it, making an effort to smile and greet everyone, introducing them to an exceedingly amused Klaus.

"Breathe, love, everything will be fine." He told at her as he pulled onto the dance floor.

They slipped into the dance gracefully and with ease, like they done so many times before. She found herself getting lost in it, not even noticing the other eyes on them, and on her.

"It seems I have some competition." Klaus said, smirking down at her, though his eyes were brimming with an angry. Caroline glanced around, noticing some of her peers from school looking at her in a way that her mother would have said was indecent. She turned back to Klaus and smiled at him, finding it funny that he could even think she would have anything to do with them.

"Aren't you supposed to be the alpha male? Maybe I should be looking for other options..." She teased him, grinning.

Klaus raised an eyebrow in her direction before his smirk widened. "Ah, yes, I forgot. Well, don't worry, sweetheart, I _am_ the alpha male." He brought his face down closer to hers as he said this and Caroline had suppress a shiver, reminded of their earlier escapades.

Throughout the night, she stayed in Klaus' arms, not wanting to stray far from him. But, she couldn't stop a weird feeling from creeping into her stomach and breaking through her happiness, making her see things that she didn't want to see.

Such as…

"Klaus, I know you don't want to talk about it but... Don't you think it's all been a little too easy lately?" Caroline asked cautiously, brow furrowed.

"What do you mean?" Klaus asked in return, looking somewhat puzzled at her question.

Caroline hesitated, not wanting to ruin their thus far lovely evening by saying the wrong thing. But she couldn't hide her head in the sand and ignore this feeling anymore.

"You were worried for so long about Esther eventually rising and taking her vengeance and, now that she has, she just _forgave_ you..." She saw the anger in Klaus' face and realized she might have stepped too far and immediately started backtracking. "I know she is your mother, I know that..." Her hand ran from his shoulder, up his neck and to his cheek, forcing him to look down at her, his eyes stormy and full of emotion. "But, I'm worried." She added.

"Well don't be." Klaus said gruffly, pulling away from her a little, causing Caroline to sigh a little, wishing he would see what she saw. "Everything is fine. She only wants our family to be one again."

But Caroline knew Klaus better than anyone, and she knew how much he wanted this, his dream of family reunited, to be true.

He wouldn't give that up, not just yet, not without painful proof of betrayal.

"Ok." She said, her hand going back to his shoulder as they continued dancing. "Will you promise me something?" Klaus finally looked back at her. "Be careful." She echoed the same words she had said to Elijah. _They are more alike than they'd like to believe_.

"I always am, sweetheart." Klaus told her, awarding her with a small smirk, returning to his good mood.

She smiled sweetly at him, leaning closer. "I know."

* * *

Caroline was still smiling when she made her way to the side of the ballroom; she had finally managed to force herself out of Klaus' arms when he told her that he had to get something quickly. As she looked around the room, she immediately noticed a certain friend of hers, looking absolutely stunning in a sparkly black and grey dress. _A couple of weeks ago I would have helped her pick one out…_

A pang of sorrow entered her heart and Caroline found herself making her way over to the brunette.

"Elena." She greeted, her voice soft.

"Caroline." She returned, before looking resolutely away, completely ignoring her presence.

The blonde's sorrowful feelings immediately turned to annoyance, just about fed up with the way she was being treated.

"What, so now you aren't talking to me?" She asked with incredulity.

Elena turned back to Caroline. "Well, what do you want me to say? That I'm disappointed that you were so quick to abandon us?" She shrugged, her voice quickly speed. "That I'm angry that you went straight to Klaus, after all he's done to us?"

"I never abandoned you." She exclaimed, causing a few of the guests to look their way. "Why can't you see that? I am trying to fix everything!"

"By being with Klaus?" Elena replied, facing up to him.

The vampire's eyes narrowed, her anger rising more and more. "You don't know him. Not like I do. I love him, Elena, I won't let him get hurt." She said, her voice like ice, eyes ablaze.

"He killed Jenna!" The brunette returned, furious. "He almost killed me, and he still wants to use me to make his hybrids!"

_It's not black and white._

Caroline took a deep breath, needing to stay rational for this. "And I am the only one who can convince him to stop. All he's ever wanted was a family, but he has his siblings back now and me. We can make him see he doesn't need his hybrids..." She tried desperately to explain the man that Klaus was when they were alone, but Elena only scoffed, a look of betrayal and disbelief on her face.

Caroline, in turn, stepped back, disappointment and frustration clear in her expression. _That's it. I'm done._

"Fine, doubt me, whatever." She said bitingly. "I was only trying to explain to you why for the sake of our friendship, but if you can't even give me the benefit of the doubt after all I've done for you, I don't even know why I bothered."

Shaking her head, Caroline stalked off.

She ignored the feeling of heartache and the tears at the corner of her eyes.

* * *

Caroline decided she needed some air, knowing that Klaus would be able to find her. She had just about made it to the door when she walked straight into someone and two hands steadied her, holding her shoulders lightly. She looked to find Stefan Salvatore staring back down at her.

"Stefan." She said dully. "Come to yell at me too?" Her words came out with a sarcastic bite.

The younger Salvatore smirked down at her, letting go of her arms and crossing his own over his chest, a cocky light in his eyes. "Nah, I think she covered it."

_My Stefan wouldn't have done that._

"Well then, I'll just go." She sighed.

A hand shot out and grabbed her by the elbow. "Caroline." She turned back and faced her friend.

"What?"

"Don't..." Stefan trailed off, suddenly unsure. Caroline was just about to leave, fed up, when he continued. "Don't give up on us yet, _bella_."

She froze, and he let go and walked away.

As she stood there for a moment, Caroline allowed herself a small smile.

_I won't, Stef._

* * *

When Caroline finally made it outside, Klaus was there waiting for her, a boyish smile on his face. She looked at him curiously.

"What are you so happy about?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, deciding to put away all the teen angst for the rest of the night. _Today is about family; it's about me and him._

"Your second surprise, of course." He smirked, pulling her along, his arm tight around her waist.

"Another surprise?" She questioned, smiling up at Klaus and leaning into him, welcoming his comforting heat.

"Well, love, like you said, it's been too long." This was said seriously, and his eyes burned into hers, holding the pain of their years of separation. Caroline, who had been about to protest, not wanting him to go through so much trouble for her, felt the words die on her tongue. How could she refuse him when he looked at her like that?

He guided her forward until Caroline could hear a recognizable sound, like something pawing on the ground. In the next moment, she saw what was making the noise.

Before them stood a horse, tethered to a carriage.

Caroline immediately smiled, staring at it, being brought back to their time in the 1550s.

"I thought she might remind you of back then." Klaus told her, explained that they could even buy a pair of horses later on, just like they had in the 1550s. Riding was one of Caroline's favorite pastimes and she found herself eagerly agreeing to the idea. But before she told him, she found herself wanting to make sure he knew something.

She turned to face him, her arm comfortable around his waist as she touched her forehead to his.

"I will never need a reminder, though, Nik." She told him, honesty ringing through her voice.

Klaus smiled down at her and pressed his lips to hers fervently. Caroline arched into him, one arm going around the back of his neck whilst his wrapped tightly around her waist, pulling her into him.

When he pulled his lips away from hers, it was only so he could press a heated kiss to her cheek, trailing his lips down. Caroline gasped and suddenly Klaus pulled away with a smirk, causing her to pout.

"I'll be right back, sweetheart, I have one more thing for you." He said, his thumb on her bottom lip, stroking it softly.

"Something else?" She asked. "What is it?"

"You'll just have to wait and find out." Caroline rolled her eyes at his statement, causing Klaus to let out an amused chuckle. Eventually, she cracked a smile, his laugh infectious.

Caroline was still smiling as Klaus left her for a moment, going to get her third surprise of the day. She patted the horse's neck gently, watching as it whinnied.

She was so focused on the animal in front of her that she didn't notice there was someone behind her until he touched her arm. She startled and whipped around, thinking it was an attack, only to see one of the Mikaelson brothers watching her with careful eyes.

"Oh, it's you Finn, you surprised me." Caroline said, allowing tension to leave her after she noticed who it was.

"Caroline," She looked at him curiously, wondering what he wanted. "I don't think we have had the pleasure of conversing as family should."

"No, we haven't, have we?" She found herself asking, smiling at him when she realized his innocent intentions.

"Would you care to accompany me?" Finn gestured to the grounds. Caroline hesitated for a moment, knowing that Klaus would be back soon. _He won't mind if I'm with Finn though, all he wants is his family to be back together again... I'm sure it only take a second. Besides, it might be useful to keep an eye on Finn, he is the closest one to Esther, after all._

"Ok." Caroline consented. The Original awarded her with a rare smile and offered his arm, which she gladly took. They walked for a little while in silence, getting farther and farther away from the house, until it was barely in view. This made a slight twinge of panic run through the younger vampire, but she suppressed it, telling herself not be ridiculous.

Caroline waited for Finn to say something, seeing as he had invited her; the distance between them and the house continued to grow. Eventually, the silence became too much for Caroline, who was wondering by now why he had asked her with him. "So what was it you wanted to talk about?" She asked, stopping and turning to face him.

As she tried to let to of him, though, his hand shot out and grabbed her elbow roughly. _Painfully._

"Finn? What are you doing?" She was confused as she tugged at her arm, trying and failing to get him to let her go. When she looked up and saw Finn's dark expression, Caroline found herself panicking.

It suddenly became clear to her what this had been all along.

_It's a trap and I fell right for it, even after I warned Klaus. Damn it, how could I be so stupid?_

"Let me go!" Caroline exclaimed, fighting harder against Finn, putting all of her vampire strength into her struggles. It was no match for the Original, though.

At this Finn pulled her back into him, his hand enclosing over mouth, cutting of her breath. "I'm sorry, _sister_." The term was used mockingly. "But Mother told me to get you out of the way."

Just as she thought that she would, once again, be knocked out and unable to help. She heard a struggle behind her, as someone else joined the fray.

_Klaus, _she thought, relieved.

But it was not Klaus' voice that spoke the next words.

"I believe my niece asked you to let her go." Caroline's heart stopped as she recognized the voice, her mind a flurry of confusion and disbelief. _W-What..? _

The next thing she heard was the distinct sound of a neck snapping and Finn's arms loosened and fell away from her, his body falling to the floor.

As Caroline turned around, she found herself wondering if she was dreaming, immediately knowing who the man in front of her was, despite the fangs and blood-filled eyes.

_It can't be._

"Uncle Richard?"

He smiled at her, red eyes fading to familiar brown.

"Hello sunshine."

**Mahahaha, evil cliffhanger. But, worry not! Next chapter will be out Friday to Saturday :) What can I say? I did so miss my OCs from The Lines That Lie Between. I actually wrestled with this decision, I didn't know whether or not to add Richard back in – I've been thinking about it since the beginning, but I recently came up with the perfect doorway back in, so here he is! All will be explained in the next chapter ;) Oh, and I also wanted to explain something about the Elena – Caroline confrontation; their problems aren't yet resolved because I think that, before that can happen, Caroline needs to start standing up for herself and not let her friends walk all over her, which is why she grew a little feisty. I think that this is an important step in their relationship, at least in this story.**

**Anywhoooooo, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	19. In My Veins

**Thank you to Sunfiresarah, Philippe Holden, adamo393, babyvfan, shadowfaxangel, Epitomeofme, MyLittleNiklausObsession, drewwnessss, **_**Guest, **_**Clara, restlesssoul21, holl2712, OKBooey31, Marina, justine, zingolies, khaduhr448, ILoveAllBooksTVDKlaroline-Kol, lulujay, chillwithJyl, Runaway'96, batgirl2992, StefanxKlaus14, carasedrin, cupcakelover0822, jessinicole, Sci-fi Christian, Lord of Sin, **_**Guest**_**, BiancaR, PsychVamp, Pem (x3), Flaca514, Marceliita16, InuGnome17, **_**Guest**_**, florabloom101, BlueJean452, Hazel21, ilyreid, ApekshaStar, ccgrinter, glevez25, ifancyklarolinexx, jennyhale, Babybee61, SweetyK, Lovely Rain Dancer, and Pscy0gurl0 for reviewing!**

**I realize this update is a few days late, and I must apologize or that; I just wanted to make sure this chapter was really good for you guys ;)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own TVD.**

Chapter 18

In My Veins

_Mystic Falls, 2010_

"Uncle Richard?"

He smiled at her, red eyes fading to familiar brown.

"Hello sunshine."

Caroline only gaped for a moment, her mouth opening and closing, shock rendering her speechless. And then her uncle opened his arms and without another thought Caroline rushed forward and threw herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as they embraced. Richard lifted her off her feet, hugging her fiercely.

_Oh my God. This is really happening,_ Caroline thought as she felt Richard press a kiss to her hair. A sob built up in Caroline's throat, and she pressed her face closer in his neck.

_But he was dead… just like everyone. My entire family… dead, dead and long gone… but, he's here… _Caroline couldn't think, her mind on overload. But there was thing she knew, Uncle Richard was _here_ and he was _real._

Despite the fact that the man was her uncle, Richard was only twelve years older than her, having been born of her grandfather's second marriage. When she was young, she hadn't really known him for very long when she was young, but when she went to complete her ten-year, they had grown closer. Her uncle had always been there for her, and, if she was honest, was really more like a second brother or father to her.

And here he was again. He'd saved her skin.

Finally Caroline pulled back, tears in her eyes, she took a step back, but took one of Richard's hands, wanting to make sure that he was really there, that this wasn't just an illusion.

"How did this happen? How are you here?" She whispered as she searched his eyes, remembering the red that had filled them only moments before. "You're a vampire!" She exclaimed, the realization hitting her hard.

"Do not worry, sunshine, all will be explained." He replied with a soft smile, squeezing her hand once. "But first, I daresay that you must warn the others." He made a pointed glance to Finn, who was laid unceremoniously on the floor, neck bent at an odd angle.

That reminded her…

"Oh my God. Klaus!" She panicked, what if she was too late? What if Esther already hurt them? _I knew she was up to something! I should've done something before. Damn it!_

_If he's hurt… _Caroline swallowed harshly, her feelings wanting to choke her as she thought about the possibility. She pulled herself away from her uncle, intent on going to find out, heart beating rapidly in her chest.

She didn't get far, however, when Uncle Richard reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. She tensed for a moment, thinking back to Finn, who had refused to let her go. She forced herself to relax, however; this was _Uncle Richard, _he would never hurt her. Caroline could be sure of this, even five hundred years later.

"Slow down, Caroline." He said, in that calm way of his that she had missed _so_ much. _I still can't believe this is happening._

"What? Why?" She questioned, incredulously. _They need my help! If I don't go, he might… he might…_

"Think for a minute, your foe is powerful witch, is she not? You cannot simply go barging inside and expect her to step aside once she knows that you know of her plans. You'll have to be quieter than that. " Richard's word struck a chord in her.

_Esther would know I'm coming, and she go through with whatever she had planned anyway._

Caroline took a deep breath to calm herself, knowing she needed to think.

"How do you know all of this?" She asked after a moment.

"I have been around a few days now." Uncle Richard replied.

_A few days? But why didn't he…? _

"Why didn't you come and talk to me?" She asked, a betrayed look on her face. _I could have used here. Where were you all these years?_

Richard hesitated, a pained look crossing his features.

"I wasn't sure how to reveal myself." He admitted. "You have to understand, Caroline, I thought you…" He stopped, taking a breath, and for the smallest second, Caroline could have sworn she saw the glint of tears in his eyes. In the next instant it was gone, replaced with a strained smile. "It does not matter now, sunshine, you must make sure the others know. "

"Me? Aren't you going to come with me?" Caroline questioned.

"Not yet." He shook his head.

"But, Uncle Richard!" She protested, reaching out and grabbing his forearm. _Please! You just got here!_

"I will see you later, I promise you." Her last family member said, holding her by both her shoulders. "But first you must know this; Esther is planning on linking her children together – what happens to one will happen to all."

Suddenly everything made sense.

"So if one of them dies, all of them will?" She asked, eyes widening.

"Yes."

"But how will that do anything, there is nothing that could kill them…" Caroline was mumbling, confused.

"There is. Your friends have found it." Richard interrupted, a sad look in his eyes. _My friends… but… I told them. I told them that I wouldn't let anything happen to him, that I need him…. That I _love_ him and they still…_

Caroline shook herself out of it, knowing this was not the time for this.

"How do I stop this? How does the spell work?" She asked, her voice edged in desperation.

"It has something to do with the blood of the doppelgänger. Other than that, I do not know." Uncle Richard shrugged almost helplessly as he stared down at her with those kind brown eyes of his.

They both snapped there heads up when they heard telltale footsteps nearby. Caroline smiled, already feeling who it was.

"Klaus…" She whispered with relief. It seemed that, in her distraction, she had let go of her uncle, and, when she turned around, she'd found he disappeared. "Uncle?" She whisper-shouted, looking around. _Where is he? _"Damn it!" She cursed after only a moment, knowing that he wasn't anywhere nearby.

She didn't have much time to think on that matter, however, when she glanced down at Finn, the footsteps approaching closer.

_Why couldn't I just have a happy, uncomplicated night with the man I love?_

* * *

Klaus was smiling as he headed back outside to where Caroline was waiting for him, one hand in the pocket of his waistcoat, touching the ring that he had put there. For the first time in a _long_ time, Klaus found himself experiencing nervousness. But, no matter, he could hide it well enough.

His nerves turned to a feeling of foreboding, however, when he finally got outside and saw that no one was there. He glanced around, wondering where Caroline might have gone. He decided to go farther into the gardens, knowing her love for them.

His feeling of foreboding only increased as he continued looking.

Finally, he saw a glimpse of blue, and knew he had found her.

"There you are, love…" Klaus said with a smile. Only, when he finally reached her, he stopped in his tracks and his smile died on his face. "What happened here?" He almost growled looking away from his incapacitated brother to a worried and panicking Caroline.

"Um, Finn h-he attacked me and I-I snapped his neck." She stuttered out, her hands rubbing her arms, a telltale sign that she was nervous.

"He did _what_?" This time Klaus _did_ growl, immediately angry. _No one_ could touch Caroline, _no one_. When he saw Caroline's still wide eyes, he calmed himself a little, knowing that that was not what she needed right now. He approached her slowly and lifted his hands to cup her face, putting his forehead against hers. His system flooded with relief to know that she was alright. "Why would he do this." He muttered as Caroline turned her face and placed a kiss to his palm.

When her eyes met his, he saw they were full of sadness and anger. "He said that Esther needed me out of the way… She's planning on killing you all, Klaus."

_Mother… I thought… _He frowned, suddenly furious, with Esther, and with himself for letting his guard down and _believing _her. _Fool! Haven't you learned your lesson about love?_

_It is not always like that, you love Caroline, don't you? _Another, smaller voice whispered to him.

"How…? Now, that is untrue, it must be." He muttered, still trying to deny it, not ready for yet another betrayal. _Why can't my family just see that all I want is to have them at my side?_

"Why else would she try to take me out, Klaus? Please! Believe me!" Caroline exclaimed desperately, her hands clutching his at the side of her face.

He searched her eyes for a moment, eyes that he knew better than his own, and saw no sign of deception. It saddened him, but in a way also lifted him up; at least he knew that Caroline would never betray him. He didn't often doubt his standing with her, but he was a creature of caution when it came to trust, always looking for signs of deception and lies.

Finally, Klaus nodded.

"I do. We have to stop her." He told Caroline, holding her gaze firmly. She sighed in obvious relief, glancing away for a second, before returning her burning eyes to his.

"I think I know _just_ the person to go ask." She said, anger in her voice.

He let go of her and gestured for her to lead the way.

* * *

"What did you do?" Caroline hissed, slamming Elena into a wall, though not hard enough to truly damage her. She'd told Klaus her suspicions on the way back to the house and had asked him to let her take care of this. Surprisingly, he had agreed and told her he would back her up.

As soon they'd taken care of Finn and put him where no one would see, they reentered the mansion. She went looking for her friend right away and found her with Elijah in an isolated hallway. She had originally planned to talk to the brunette calmly, but seeing her made her anger rise up again.

Elena and her had been friends for a long time now, and she _still_ didn't trust Caroline enough to leave the man she _loved_ alone. It hurt Caroline more than she let on.

"Caroline, let the girl go." Elijah commanded, putting a hand on the blonde's shoulder. In the next instant, Klaus was at her side and had Elijah pinned on an adjacent wall.

"Forgive me, brother, but it seems like your little doppelgänger here has been planning to kill us all." Klaus growled.

Caroline barely heard him, focusing only on Elena. "How could you? I'm your _friend_! How could you do this to _me_?" She yelled, tears filling her eyes furiously.

"I'm sorry, Caroline, it wasn't about you, it was about _him_." Elena looked genuine in her apology but her eyes hardened when she looked over to the hybrid.

"I _love_ him; of course it was about me! And you weren't just going to kill him, but the rest too!" She exclaimed, anger coursing through her. "Klaus, Rebekah, Kol… even Elijah! I thought you _cared_ about him!"

By this time, Klaus had let go of his older brother, who had a harsh look in his eye, realizing his mistake. They both stood silent as Caroline continued to confront Elena.

"I do!" Elena insisted. "But it was the _only _way!"

"No, it wasn't! You could've trusted _me_!" Caroline yelled out, causing Elena to fall in silence. For a moment, it looked like the brunette was about to say something, but it seemed like Caroline had _finally_ managed to get through to her. Elena's expression changed from righteous to ashamed. "If you don't tell me what you did, I will _never_ forgive you." Caroline whispered.

Elena glanced at the Original brother hesitantly before looking back to her friend. She nodded. "Ok."

Caroline pulled away from Elena, allowing her stand properly on her own.

"I gave Esther my blood, she's planning to link you and your siblings together." She said this to Klaus, looking him straight in the eyes, unafraid. "She was planning on lacing it in the champagne." Elena admitted.

"Then we don't drink it." Elijah said, voice quiet with anger as he stared at Elena.

"But that will not stop Esther from continuing to come after us." Klaus intoned emotionlessly, though his eyes were burning with so many of them.

"We have to stop her." Caroline agreed, looking over at the Originals.

"Niklaus, you go find our dear sister and brother." Elijah said, walking towards Elena. "I will keep an eye on the girl, make sure Mother can no longer use her against us."

"Very well, 'Lijah." Klaus held out his hand to Caroline, and she gladly took it, needing to feel him by her side. It had been an _exhausting_ night so far, and it wasn't over yet.

"And, brother…" Klaus turned back to look at the older Mikaelson. "… be sure to stop her, will you?"

"Of course."

Klaus and Caroline were away in the next instant.

* * *

"You're lying." Rebekah crossed her arms haughtily, but there was doubt in her eyes, anger. Kol was standing by her side, oddly silent for once. Neither seemed to be taking the news that their mother was planning their deaths well. _Of course they aren't! Don't be an idiot, Caroline. Just because you didn't like her doesn't make her any less their mother._

"Afraid not, little sister." Klaus said bitingly, taking out his anger on his sibling.

"No, you are! You have always wanted to take away my happiness and now you're at it again!" Rebekah exclaimed with a wounded expression.

"I wouldn't lie about this, Rebekah!" Klaus growled, temper snapping and grabbing his sister by the shoulders.

"Oh you wouldn't? You lied for _centuries_ about the fact that is was _you_ that killed Mother!"

Caroline could practically see the fury boiling under Klaus' skin, and moved forward to stand beside them. They were both too emotionally invested in this to think rationally; Caroline would have to be the voice of reason.

"Look, Rebekah, Klaus is telling the truth; Finn attacked me earlier, said he needed to get me out of the way for Esther." She said, appearing more calm than she was.

"Then you're both liars!" Rebekah glared at the other blonde and Caroline felt herself wither a bit, her own doubts building up again. _Why can't my friends believe me?_

What happened next would forever surprise her. She felt a strangely gentle hand on her shoulder and Kol stepped up behind her.

"Little sister, I'm inclined to believe Nik and the lovely Miss Forbes." He said, his voice unnaturally still, eyes on the youngest Mikaelson.

"You do?" Caroline blurted out shocked.

It seemed she wasn't the only who was utterly surprised by this turn of events.

"But Kol…" Rebekah trailed off, her eyes wide as she stared at her brother. Klaus too stared, and his hands dropped away from his sister.

"Mother and Father were never the forgiving type; I had doubts from the moment she came back to life." Kol admitted, completely straight-faced. "Even you have admit this, Rebekah." Everyone saw the guilty sort of look in the Original's eyes.

"We have to stop her, sister." Klaus came to stand beside Caroline as he said this, backing up both his brother and herself.

Rebekah glanced at all three of them before they saw the slump of defeat in her shoulders.

"Fine, I'll go with you, and I will prove you wrong." She hissed, pushing roughly past them. Kol followed close behind her, not wasting any opportunity to annoy his little sister.

Caroline met Klaus' and they shared an exasperated look.

* * *

Caroline followed right behind Klaus and his younger siblings as they went upstairs to where Esther was. Elijah was in the ballroom, getting rid of the guests, whilst simultaneously keeping an eye on Elena. He had decided it should be him, despite his wishes to remain with his younger siblings, seeing as he was the most calm of all of them and wouldn't resort to violence to get their guests outside the house.

They entered the room silently, though Caroline could feel their intent, the power that rolled off of them in waves. Despite the fact that they bickered like little kids, Caroline knew just how old and how incredibly strong each of them were. And when they were united… well, no one could get in their way.

"Mother." Klaus greeted as he walked in, Caroline close behind. Kol and Rebekah already standing across from Esther. She looked to them cautiously, before walking forward, arms out.

"My children, I thought you would be enjoying the party." She told them with what could have been a warm smile, if it weren't for the coldness in her eyes. She didn't even glance Caroline's way, though she easily noticed the way the Original witch stiffened when she entered. _It's over, Esther._

"I would enjoy it more if I didn't know you were planning on killing us all." Klaus said, his voice deceptively calm, almost bored.

"What are talking about, Niklaus?"

"Do not _lie to me!_" Klaus bellowed, his anger lashing out as he blurred towards the woman who gave birth to him, wanting to _hurt_ her like she had hurt _him_ for so long. _ "_AH!" In the next instant he had fallen to his knees, face contorted in pain as he clutched his head between his hands.

"Klaus!" Caroline yelled, dropping by his side, her arms around his shoulders. Her heart ached to see him in so much pain.

"Nik!" Rebekah gasped, before looking to her mother, finally realizing that she really _was_ out to hurt them.

Caroline put her head against Klaus' trying in vain to ease some of his pain, he was trembling against her, making anguished sounds every few seconds.

"I suppose that this is your fault?" Caroline looked up at Esther, who looked at her coldly, without another expression. "I should have gotten rid of you _myself_. What did you do with Finn?"

"Finn is fine, but _far_ from your reach. Your plan is ruined and your children will live, just like they _deserve _to." Caroline replied, proud that he voice stayed steady, despite the panic that was inside.

"Deserve to live?" The older woman wore a look of incredulity. "They are _monsters_, all of them a curse on this earth. They are killers and I must correct the mistake I made a thousand years ago."

"I won't let you." _I will fight you to my last breath, you bitch._

Caroline stood but Esther immediately knew her intent and she was sent crashing back to her knees, waves of pain, _agony_, washing over her.

"You think you can stop me?" Caroline vaguely heard her ask.

Footsteps. Caroline managed to look over to her side and was surprised to see not only her savior from earlier that night but Elijah and an unfamiliar woman as well.

"She can't… but _I _can." Her uncle said, standing tall and strong.

"Richard." She heard Rebekah breath, surprise lacing her voice.

In the next moment both Elijah and Richard forward, the eldest Mikaelson to where Klaus lay and her uncle to her. They pulled both of them away and to Kol and Rebekah, who were outside the threshold of the room. As soon as they had also crossed it, her uncle turned back to the unfamiliar woman.

"Now, Lilah!" He commanded the woman with a yell.

Lilah held out her arms and, closing her eyes slowly, began to chant. _A witch, _Caroline thought vaguely as she lay limp in Richard's arms, the pain having exhausted her. A wind picked up around them and the blonde vampire noticed Esther fighting back through her blurry eyes. It was to no avail, however, Esther already having used much of her power bringing down Klaus. Soon enough, the Original witch's magic suddenly stopped and Esther, looking angry, moved forward to go after them only to be stopped by something invisible.

"You trapped me." Esther said, with a cold glare, anger still emanating off her.

"That's right, you and your magic can't reach outside the barrier." Lilah said crossing her arms, breathing hard, but sounding triumphant.

"This isn't the end of this. I have the power of thousands of dead witches on my side." Esther hissed furiously.

"It will give us enough time to stop _you_." Caroline had never heard her uncle so angry; it was unfamiliar to her, Richard being the gentlest man she had ever known. She didn't think on it much, though, as she continued to look around lethargically, her pain finally completely gone.

She was lifted from the ground, her body still weak from the blow she'd received from Esther. She noticed Elijah helping Klaus to his feet, the younger brother's arm around the elder's shoulders.

Her uncle walked forward with her in his arms.

"Richard." A soft female voice stopped him in his tracks.

"M'lady Rebekah." Caroline heard him reply, almost nervously.

"You- you did it in the end." The other blonde stuttered out.

For a moment, all was silent.

"Yes, but here is not the place to discuss it. Come." Her uncle said steadily.

* * *

"How did this happen? How did we miss this? And how the hell is _he_ here?" Kol exclaimed as they all entered the now empty living room, Elijah having managed to get all the guests out, including Elena.

"Now isn't the time for that, Kol." Rebekah hissed angrily.

They were all silent as Richard placed a weakened Caroline on one of the couches. Klaus, already back to almost full strength, crouched down in front of her, a hand gently pushing the curls away from her forehead. She was still whimpering a little, weak from being attacked twice tonight. Being only have his age, it would take her much longer to regenerate, especially considering she had not had a proper feed since the day before.

Klaus, decision made, lifted his wrist to his mouth and ripped into it, before holding it in front of Caroline's mouth, his other hand on the back of her head. She hesitated for only a moment before she dug her fangs into his skin. Klaus was acutely aware of his siblings' eyes on his back, each of them surprised by this display of affection; they all knew Klaus was the elitist of the group, unwilling to give his blood to just anyone.

Yet here he was.

"Sh, Caroline, that's it." He whispered encouragingly, already seeing the strength returning to her form.

Soon enough she was sitting up and pulling away from his wrist, her fangs retracting. "I'm good. Thank you…" She said softly. Klaus nodded briefly before moving to sit next to her, wearing his classic brooding face; she knew today's events must be weighing heavily on him.

It grew awkwardly silent as no one said anything, the rest of the Original siblings simply standing around, each of them with a hundred different emotions playing in their eyes. The witch-stranger, Lilah, was awkwardly by Richard's side, who was stood beside Caroline, keeping watch of her, as if she needed his protection.

"Uncle… you came back." She finally said, causing everyone to look at her.

"Did you doubt I would?" Richard asked her with a smile. _It has been nearly five centuries, five centuries of pain and misery and loneliness, of course I would feel doubt, not matter how much I didn't want to. _Caroline didn't get to voice her thoughts however, when Klaus interrupted them, a suspicious tone in his voice.

"You knew he was here?" He asked, eyes solely on her.

Caroline hesitated, feeling slightly guilty for neglecting to tell him before that her uncle had returned. _But_, in her defense, she wasn't even sure if it had really happened, a part of her believing it was all just some sort of sick dream.

"Yes, he was the one who saved me from Finn." She replied, keeping her voice carefully steady.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Klaus asked, and Caroline could see the betrayal building up in his eyes. _No, no… it wasn't like that._

"I wanted to, but… I wasn't sure _how_. I wasn't even sure if it was real or not, I mean, I could have been going crazy for all I knew." She desperately tried to explain herself.

"I could have helped you." He insisted in return.

"I know, Nik, I know but…" She trailed off and they both fell into silence again.

"Sorry to intrude." Lilah said suddenly, looking pointedly at them all. "But I'm afraid you must rush if you want to stop the Original witch; that barrier will not last for long, a day or two at most." She stood abruptly from where she perched on the arm of one of the couches. The young witch approached her uncle, arms crossed of her chest. "I have to be going now; my debt to you is paid, old friend." She told him, her eyes daring him to challenge her decision; Lilah knew of the dangers with intervening in things that were not her business.

Richard sighed dejectedly, knowing he could not stop her from leaving, despite the fact that they could use an ally witch nearby these next few days. "Goodbye Lilah. I wish you well."

"Be careful, Esther is not to be underestimated." She told him in return, before leaving the room with a final nod his way.

"So, tell us, Richard, how are you here with us today?" Klaus asked as soon as she was gone, not even glancing towards Caroline, his jaw clenched tightly.

"It is rather a long story." Her uncle hedged.

"We have the time, eons of it, in fact." The hybrid replied with sarcasm, leaning back into the couch, through his arm over the back of it.

"Very well. I suppose I should start with the beginning." Richard sighed.

"Yes, that _would_ be preferred." The youngest Original brother said mockingly.

"Oh keep your mouth shut Kol." Rebekah replied, rolling her eyes, before gesturing for Richard to continue.

He began. "Well, it started when the Petrova girl decided to kill my entire family, after which you allowed me to care for Robb's daughter."

"My niece…" Caroline interrupted, swallowing loudly. "What happened to her?" She asked hesitantly, unsure if she wanted to know. Her uncle kept his eyes on her as he spoke his next words.

"She lived a long, happy life. A _human_ life. I… I named her Caroline… It was all I could give her of the rest of her family."

_Caroline? He did that? I… I… _The blonde vampire was surprised to find tears had filled her eyes. She reached out and held her uncle's hand in hers, squeezing it once reassuringly.

"Then how did… how did you turn into a vampire? You look exactly like the last time I saw you, well, minus the jeans, that is." She tried teasing; wanting to make the mood lighter, but it was to no avail.

"Little Caroline and I were the last surviving members of our family, and I wanted nothing more than for the Forbes name and line to continue… And m'L-_Rebekah_ knew this." The former manservant was quick to correct himself. "So, before she and her brothers left the two of us, she came to me in secret with a vial of her blood and told me to use it if I should so desire."

Caroline looked up to Rebekah, and immediately believed her uncle's words. It was in the Original's blues eyes, the way she looked at the ground in sad contemplation.

"I wasn't going to. I _wasn't_." Richard insisted, causing Caroline to look back at him. "But, only a few months after you all left, I was nearly killed by a newborn vampire. The only way I managed to survive is because I knew what he was and staked him. I would have been dead if it weren't for my family heritage."

Her uncle withdrew his hand from Caroline's and moved back a bit, that unrecognizable angry look in his expression again. _Looks the years haven't just changed me…_

"As it turns out, this wasn't just a random attack, he had been sent by Katerina, to finish off her work…" He voice was dark and full of fury as he said this.

_Katherine. She just couldn't stop, could she? Wasn't killing the rest of my family already enough? Why did she have to go after Uncle Richard and my niece? _The blonde vampire was about to voice her anger when Richard continued.

I knew from then on that little Caroline and myself would never be safe, not without added protection… so I took the blood and I made the transition." He said steadily, as if it were another's story and not his own. "I stayed with Robb's daughter… _my_ daughter until the end of her days. I have watched and protected all of the generations that have come afterwards." He took a deep breath, a profoundly sad look in his brown eyes. "I have also scoured the earth for Katerina Petrova, and I will bring my family _justice_."

No one said anything, everyone still processing his story.

But, Caroline already knew one thing, because she recognized in him what she had felt for centuries. She stood up and approached him, feeling his curious eyes on her. As soon as she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and embraced him tightly. Uncle Richard seemed surprised but returned her embrace after only a second.

"Uncle Richard…. I am so sorry, you must have been alone… for so long." Caroline told him, her voice breaking with emotion.

"Sh, sh, it's alright sunshine. We are here now, together." Uncle Richard whispered, though she could hear the emotions in his voice as well. After a long moment, Caroline pulled back a bit to look her last living (well sort of living) family member in the eye.

"You're not leaving again, are you?" She asked, sounding much like a child as she did so. Her uncle looked down at her, a single tear making its way down his cheek.

"I won't, that I can promise you."

Caroline smiled brightly, truly happy. She knew that their problems were far from over, that there were still many questions to be asked, but at least she had her own family back, along with Klaus and his siblings.

* * *

Klaus watched as the two Forbes' stood together, locked in an embrace. His previous anger faded a bit at seeing Caroline's beautiful smile, her happiness lighting the room. His hand went to his pocket, briefly touching the ring that was hiding there.

"What now, brother?" Elijah asked gravely at his side, his eyes also on the younger vampires.

Klaus turned to his older brother, smirking darkly.

"_Now_, we fight back."

**That's it until next time! I just want to say thank you for your patience in waiting for this chapter, I hope it met everyone's expectations! Just two more chapters to go! (and the epilogue of course)**

**Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


	20. Almost Gone

**Thank you to Pem, I'm in the loony bin, jus4theheckofit98, klarolineisendgame, **_**Guest,**__**Guest**_**, SusanSmile, taneish1990, hopeless637, TheDreamy, Kateisacupcake, Charlotte, whisperslove, and the tree was happy (x2), Heidiionaanita (x13), Sunfiresarah, **_**Guest**_**, delenageek, shadowfaxangel, livingdeadblondegirl, 13melisa, Lovely Rain Dancer, Lord of Sin, glevez25, babyvfan, BiancaR, Sci-fi Christian, Marina, Clara, justine, BlueJean452, Kloe1986, PsychVamp, jennyhale, Runaway'96, StefanxKlaus14, LadyKlaus, khadur448, jessinicole, OKBooey31, **_**Guest**_**, Epitomeofme, Psyc0gurl0, jonadcv3, supermodell99, ilyreid, carasedrin, ApekshaStar, and HotHybridSex for reviewing.**

**Oh my god, I am so so sorry for the long wait! I really didn't think it had been this long! I am a horrible author :( Fair warning, I didn't check for typos – I wanted to get this out there asap D:**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TVD**

Chapter Nineteen

Almost Gone

_Dover, England 1560_

Rebekah ran as fast as her feet would carry her, her long dress swishing around her. Her normally impeccable hair fell lose over her shoulders as the wind whipped through it. Her mind was alight with worry and complete and utter panic. It was almost midnight now, and it was only thanks to the candles lit about her house and her superior vision that she managed to avoid running into something.

_How could this have happened? How did we _let_ it happen? The entire Forbes line… All gone…_

As soon as she reached the attic of her home, she burst through the thick wooden door to her manservant's chamber, a sinking feeling in her stomach. _Please, no, no… _And then she saw him, sitting up from where he had been sleeping in his bed, shirtless and confused. Rebekah took no mind, however, too relieved at seeing him alive. She ran forward and embraced him tightly.

"Richard! Oh, thank goodness you're alright!" She gasped out, practically falling into his lap as he struggled to catch her in time. She ended up sitting beside him on his bed, her face tucked into his shoulder, arms around his neck.

"M'lady, I..." He hesitated, muddled as to what had gotten into Lady Rebekah. Still, he ended putting his own arms around her, holding her shaking body tightly to him.

"I was so worried you were dead!" She said thickly as she finally pulled back a bit so she could look into his face. "I don't know what I would have done if you were..." She muttered, glancing away.

Richard put all propriety to the side, unable to stand seeing his normally strong Rebekah look so hurt. He placed a tentative hand on her cheek, forcing her to look back to him. "M'lady, tell me, what has happened? Why the panic?" He asked softly.

Her small covered his own, sad eyes focused solely on his. "Oh, Richard... It's... it's your family."

He froze, panic rising up his chest, choking him. "What about my family?" He managed to ask.

He was surprised to see Rebekah's clear blue eyes fill with tears. "They..." She stopped for a moment, pulling his hand away from her cheek and holding it in her lap. "They were killed." She said finally.

"Killed? But that can't possibly be..." Richard muttered, going completely pale, shaking his head in denial.

"I am so sorry..." The blonde vampire whispered as she watched him break down in front of her. It seemed it was slowly sinking in as his dark brown eyes, usually so kind, so gentle, filled with agony, tears beginning to run down his cheeks. "They were attacked by one of our enemies, we didn't get there in time to stop them..." Rebekah continued, her own heart hurting, for him and his family.

"Did anyone survive?" He was barely able to say the words.

"Caroline. And the baby." Rebekah confirmed with a small, sad smile. Richard only looked ahead, his face now completely devoid of emotion, trying his best to keep it together. The only reason she knew he was being torn up inside was by the tight grip he had on her hand.

"The baby?" He asked in monotone.

"Robb's daughter." The Original said. _Already an orphan and barely a week old._

"And Robb? Laura?" He looked hopefully to her, almost like a child would his mother.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, almost too quietly for him to hear. _I am so, so sorry. You should never have to feel this pain. Not a good man like you. Not you._ He only nodded, once again withdrawn, though she could still see the anguish in his eyes. _He won't ever be the same after this._

_Nothing will ever be the same._

"Where is the babe now?" He asked softly.

"Safe with Elijah." It had been the oddest thing to see, this poor baby hadn't stopped crying for hours but the moment Elijah had taken the tiny thing into his arms, she had quieted, staring up at him with big eyes. Maybe it was because her elder brother gave off a calming energy… _or maybe it's because he reminds the poor girl of her father…_

"Good, that's good." Richard muttered to himself, breaking through Rebekah's thoughts. "Caroline... is she alright?" He asked after a moment.

_Caroline? I don't she'll ever be alright again. _Rebekah briefly considered lying to Richard and telling him that everything was going to be just fine, but she knew she couldn't. Not with this.

"No, she, she saw them, slaughtered on the floor, I don't know how long she must have sat there..." The Original had to stop for a moment, uncharacteristically overcome by emotion. "I've never seen her so..." She took a shuddering breath, once again looking toward Richard. "Nik couldn't bear to see her in such pain... He wanted to protect her, so he... he took her memories."

There was no shock on his face, nothing discernable. _I suppose after everything that has happened, nothing more can surprise him_, she noted sadly.

"Is she safe?" He asked, desperation clear in his voice.

"I think so, Nik will have made sure of that." Though she didn't exactly approve her brother's decision towards Caroline, she couldn't help but feel a tugging at her heart when she thought of the pain he was in.

They both fell into silence, unsure what to do next. Richard seemed to be off in his own world, his mind whirring, still processing, his eyes holding such torment as she had never seen. His only connection to this world was the hand he still held. Rebekah wasn't sure how long they sat there together, with Richard just staring at the floor and her looking at him, wondering how she could _ever_ make this better for him.

It seemed like an eternity later that Richard returned his brown eyes to hers, spilling over with tears.

He lifted a fist to his mouth, trying to quell his sobs, strong shoulders shaking. Rebekah felt her heart shattering as her Richard, her noble, kind Richard broke down in front of her, the grief too much for him. Without thinking about it, she reached forward and pulled him to her, holding him close against her. It seemed like this made his walls crumble completely as he wrapped his arms around her waist, not even worrying about what was proper or appropriate for them, instead burying his face in her neck. Rebekah, in turn, tried her best to soothe him, running her fingers through his brown hair even as her own eyes filled with tears.

"Why would anyone do this?" He asked brokenly. "To Robb? How could anyone _do_ such a thing?"

"I don't know, I don't know." She whispered. _But I do know. Because I've killed. _For the first time in a long time, Rebekah was hit with guilt at her actions over the years… _was this what the loved ones of those I killed felt? Did this happen to them too?_

"They're dead. They're really dead. And to think Caroline... all alone... I... I should have been there, I should have done something, anything." Richard was barely coherent as he tightened his arms around her even more. Luckily, Rebekah was anything but breakable.

"Richard, this is not your fault. There was nothing you could have done. I promise you, we will find whoever did this, my brothers and I will make sure of that." She told him, wanting to do anything for him.

"They're dead." Is all he said, pulling back from her to look at her with brown eyes filled with hurt and childish confusion. "Why are they dead?" He asked her.

Rebekah put her hand on the side of Richard's face, shaking her head sadly.

"I don't know." She repeated.

_I'm sorry, I'm so sorry._

* * *

Richard stood quietly by the door of Lord Klaus' new estate, the one he shared – _used_ to share – with Caroline. Today would be the last day he saw any of the Mikaelson siblings, he knew. He felt as if it hadn't quite hit him yet that he would no longer be in their employ, seeing as he was still grieving the loss of his family; it had barely been a week. A week. _Has it really been that long?_

Soon enough, the front door of the estate opened and out walked Lord Elijah, holding a tiny thing in his arms, followed closely by his sister, who looked a little less immaculate than usual, sadness in her eyes. Richard could already hear the light gurgling sounds coming from the baby girl who was laying comfortably against the Original.

"Richard." He greeted as he stepped in front of the former manservant.

"Lord Elijah." He replied, nearly silent as he bowed quickly. As soon as he was upright again, the Original handed him the babe, and if Richard hadn't known better, he would have said that the lord was reluctant to give her to him.

"I pray you take of yourself… and the child." Elijah told him seriously, holding his gaze with his own ancient one.

"Of course, m'Lord." Richard replied, holding the child to him as he stared down at her. _Robb's daughter… _A protective feeling rose in his chest as he looked down at her plump cheeks, her little fist curled next to her mouth. _She's my daughter now, _Richard found himself thinking unexpectedly.

Lord Elijah nodded at him once more before returning to the estate without another word. As soon as he was gone, his lady stepped forward, strangely hesitant.

"Lady Rebekah." He said, smiling lightly as he took in her appearance. She would always remain beautiful, even when he was gone from her. Richard only hoped that she would continue laughing as well.

Rebekah shook her head gently. "Richard, you have been by my side for near two decades now. I'd like to think we are parting as friends…" She told him lightly, reaching forward to touch his elbow. "_Please_, call me Rebekah."

"Of course, m'L- Rebekah." Richard replied after a few moments, correcting himself. Normally, he would have insisted on maintaining the rules of propriety but as it was…

"Promise me you will be careful." Rebekah said, her grip on his elbow tightening slightly. "For both your sakes."

"I promise."

The original nodded in approval, before glancing around her discreetly, noting there was no one around. She then pulled something from a small pouch, hidden in the linings of her dress, before holding it out to her former manservant. Richard glanced down to her hand, a vial held within her fingers. He recognized it immediately – with what the Originals required at times, they came at a steep price, sometimes payment even consisted of their own powerful blood. These vials were specially created for that purpose, spelled to keep their blood liquid and pure within it.

"Listen, take this." The blonde told him, looking up at him earnestly. "I know you will try your best to keep yourself safe, but there are things out there that even you can't protect yourself from, _you_ should know that better than anyone. I can't… I can't leave knowing you are in danger…" She struggled to get her words out and Richard almost immediately gave in. _She truly cares about me…_

But he didn't give in to her, not about this. Because he did not want to live as a vampire, he'd seen too much of the bad parts that came with it. He could not watch everyone around him die again, nor could he bear the idea of living on the blood of others in order to survive. So, he shook his head, declining her request gently. "I am sorry, I can't take this."

"Please, Richard, _please_." Rebekah shocked him by practically begging him, her eyes wide with panic at the thought that he would not take her protection, what little she could give. "I am asking this of as your friend." She finally ended up saying.

Richard kept his eyes on hers for a while longer. _This is Rebekah, m'Lady Rebekah, the woman whom I have followed everywhere… Can I not do her this one kindness? She has always looked to me for guidance, reassurance. _It was for things that Richard finally answered."Very well."

Rebekah immediately smiled, relieved and placed the vial in his outstretched fingers.

"Thank you." She told him, still holding his gaze with her own. "I…" She hesitated. "I am going to miss you." Before he could process what she had just said to him, Rebekah reached forward clutched Richard, holding his face gently in between her dainty hands, pulling him down and placing a tentative kiss on his lips, so light that at first he thought he was imagining it. Richard, shocked at the abrupt and obviously unplanned action, barely found himself kissing back when she pulled away suddenly. They were silent for a moment as they stared at each other. "Goodbye, my friend." She whispered through the quiet and all he could see was the blue of her eyes.

He tried to think of what to say to her, of all the words that he had kept hidden inside for years. And then the shifting child in his arms brought him back to reality as the little girl tried to fight against him and began to make upset noises. Richard rocked her a bit, attempting to sooth the fussing baby.

"Sh, now, child, everything will be alright. I will make sure of that." He told her softly, glancing up to continue his conversation with Lady Rebekah only to notice that she was no longer. Gone, the only sign that she had been there in the first place was the vial he still held between his fingers and slight tingle on his lips.

As the baby began to quiet, calming down, Richard walked toward the carriage that was waiting to bring him to his new life.

He said only one thing as they pulled away from the estate and the Mikaelson family forever.

"Goodbye."

* * *

_Mystic Falls, 2010_

"I am so glad you're here, Uncle." Caroline said as she pulled back out of her uncle's arms, tears in her eyes.

"I am glad as well, sunshine. I have been too long without my family." Richard replied, smiling down at her in that gentle way of his. The two last Forbes' stood silently with each other for a moment longer, happy to take a pause in their crazy worlds and just appreciate the fact that they were with family again.

Of course, it didn't last long, not with the Mikaelson siblings in the room and the Original witch planning all of their ends.

"What are we going to do now?" Rebekah asked, briefly glancing towards Richard before looking away, keeping her eyes on her brothers instead.

"I think it is time we put our mother back in a box." Klaus announced with a smug smirk, stepping forward.

"That's always your solution isn't it?" His younger sister replied with disgust. "It isn't that _simple_, Nik!" She hissed.

"Well then what do you propose we do 'Bekah?" Klaus asked scornfully, glaring at his sister.

The blonde opened her mouth as if to say something and then shut it with a sharp snap a moment later, lost as to what they could do; this situation was unprecedented. "I don't know." She admitted.

"I didn't think so." The Original hybrid said, shaking his head as he crossed his arms, smirking once again. Caroline could almost see Rebekah steaming at the derogative comment and knew that this would probably break out into an all out war between siblings.

"Now is that the time for petty disagreement." Elijah intervened, stepping away from Klaus and in between his brother and sister, trying to remain calm in this tense situation. "Our mother it plotting against us, the last thing we need is for there to be discord amount us."

"For once, I'm inclined to agree with good ol' 'Lijah here." Kol put in from where he was leaning casually against the doorway.

"Yes, thank you, Kol." Elijah replied with some frustration, knowing that his comments were not helping anything in their situation.

There was a moment of tense silence and Caroline couldn't keep herself out of this discussion; she was just as much a part of this as the rest of them. She decided to start by stating the obvious, wanting them to get back on track. "We need a plan."

"But how? We all know Esther will be on her guard now." Klaus told them agitated as he seemed to gravitate closer to Caroline, his previously angry feelings towards all but gone; he still didn't like that she had deceived him about Richard and his part in taking Finn out of play. But, for now he needed to focus on a much bigger problem – his mother. "The only time she will be vulnerable will be during her next attack." He continued.

Klaus' words lit a light in Caroline's mind. _Oh my go- why didn't we think of this before? It's the only way! _"So we prepare for her attack." She began stating her idea with a small smile of triumph. "We _strike_ her when she is _vulnerable_." Caroline played off Klaus' words, watching as her companions processed what she had just said. _The offense has always been a good defense_, she found herself thinking.

"Of _course_." Klaus exclaimed, his smirk widening into a smile as he looked at her with no small amount of pride. The younger vampire barely managed to keep herself from blushing.

"But first, we need to know more about her, her tricks…" Elijah said, bringing them back to reality. _This is going to be dangerous, more dangerous than anything we've ever done._

As they thought on who would know most about Esther, it seems most of them came to the same conclusion. Apart from Finn, there was only one other of her children that Esther had considered her protégé when they had all been human, Caroline knew.

They all turned to look at the Original sister.

"Rebekah?" Caroline ventured, causing the much older vampire to look at her, resigned. She had wished it wouldn't come to this, that there was some way to convince her mother that they were still her children; and maybe there still was. But, she needed to make sure she and her brothers, Caroline…and Richard, she needed to make sure they all made it through this.

So, her heart sinking, Rebekah started to tell them all of the magic and power her mother possessed.

* * *

Rebekah watched with a heavy heart as her brothers and Caroline left the parlor, all going their separate ways. _What have I done? I have given the key to killing my own mother. The mother that I have missed for a thousand years. _The blonde Original sighed deeply, ready to head up to her own room, wanting to get away from everyone when she spotted Richard standing outside, deep in thought as he looked up at the stars.

She found herself walking to him without even thinking about it, stepping gingerly outside and standing next to him.

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" She asked him after a quiet moment.

"Rebekah?" Richard asked, seemingly surprised to see her by his side all of a sudden. The Original turned to face her former manservant fully, suddenly beyond furious at him, more angry at him than she had ever been before.

"Why didn't you ever tell you'd turned? Why didn't you find me?" She asked in an accusing tone, her eyes narrowing as her heart began to rush in utter rage.

"You know why." Richard replied after a moment, sighing lightly.

"No, I _don't_ know why, so how about you enlighten me." She scoffed in return, glaring at him.

He shook his head, declining to answer. "I'm sorry." He said instead.

"You're _sorry_?" Rebekah asked incredulously. "Just tell me! Tell me how you didn't have the time to tell _your friend_ that you were alive all this time." _Tell me how I wasn't important enough for you. Tell me how little I mean to you._

"We've always been more than friends. You must know that by now, Rebekah." Richard said, his brown eyes holding her blue ones.

"I-" She started with another scathing comment before she realized just _what_ he had just said to her. She shut her mouth with a snap, looking at Richard disbelievingly. _Does he-? Does he feel-?_

Richard barely seemed to notice her reaction, sighing wearily as he moved back and sat down on one of the lounge chairs, placing his head in his hands, running his hands through his unruly brown hair. "By the time little Caroline died…" He said, trying to explain himself to her. "I was in no place to come see you, not after that. So I wandered, and I though about everything. My family, my role in this world… _you_." Finally, Richard looked back up at Rebekah, his eyes full of sadness. "I couldn't come to you, Rebekah, I was afraid to. I knew I wouldn't be able to hide what I felt."

"And so you let me think you were dead? For _centuries, _Richard, _centuries._ You were gone to me and… and I couldn't… I…" Rebekah couldn't continue, ashamed to feel the tears blur eyes.

"I'm sorry." He repeated again, reaching out to her.

Rebekah pulled back angrily, tears streaming down her face now. "Stop _saying_ that! You're not allowed to apologize to me. Not after that. God! Didn't you think I felt the same about you? Didn't you know that?" She looked him in the eyes as she said this, finding his brown ones widening in surprise before they softened.

In the next instant he was embracing her, his arms locking around her smaller frame tightly. Rebekah felt the anger drain out of her, and wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, burying her face in his chest. _He's, he's here. The first friend I've ever had. The only man that has ever loved all of me._

"Of course I did. Of course I did." Richard whispered in her hair.

"You've no idea how much I missed you." Rebekah told him after a moment, her heart aching at the mere thought of how _long_ it had been since she'd seen him last.

"I do." She pulled back, looking up at him surprised. Richard only gave her a small smile. "I missed you just the same."

* * *

Caroline had been so relieved when they made their plans to stop Esther; finally, _finally_ they weren't going to just sit around anymore, they were going to defend themselves, they were going to win.

And yet, they still found themselves waiting. _For a month._ It was driving her crazy, waiting for Esther to make her move so they could put their own plans into motion. She just wanted it to be over, more than anything she wanted it to be over.

"Klaus, it's been weeks. How long do we have to wait?" Caroline asked as she settled down onto one of the many couches in his studio. It seemed she caught him at a bad time as his back tensed and suddenly he threw the glass he had been holding across the room, making it shatter into a thousand tiny pieces.

"I don't know, Caroline. I. Don't. Know. _Anything_." He yelled, before leaning back down on his desk, bracing himself by his arms, obviously worn from the tenseness of the whole situation.

Caroline stood, walking to Klaus and putting a gentle hand on his back. "I'm sorry. It's just all this waiting… I can't take it anymore." She sighed heavily. Klaus turned around to face her, all anger drained from his body as he placed both hands on her cheeks, putting his forehead against hers.

"Neither can I, love. Neither can I." He told her quietly, for once seeming his age. Caroline smiled sadly, clutching one of his hands in her own and bringing it in between them, threading his fingers with her own.

"Why can't we just be happy for once?"

"We're immortal, we are never happy, or haven't you heard?" Klaus replied sardonically, smirking half-heartedly.

"I am, though, when I'm with you." Caroline replied, her smile widening as his gaze softened. "I love you, you know that right?"

Klaus let go of her hand, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest, smiling his first real smile in what seemed like forever.

"Well, why don't you show me?" He asked, with a suggestive sort of look. Caroline laughed at his expression, before complying and pressing her lips gently to his. She gasped as he immediately deepened the kiss, his hand moving to thread in his hair, pulling at the blonde locks.

She wasn't sure how long they stood, just kissing, when he pulled back suddenly, as if he forgot something important.

"Caroline. I love you too." He told her, his blue eyes burning into hers.

She only smiled and immediately pulled him down for another kiss.

* * *

Caroline woke up with the feeling that something was wrong, _terribly_ wrong. She wasn't sure why or what it was, but she found herself standing up to find out, anyways. She did so quietly, not wanting to stir Klaus, who had finally managed to get some sleep, after weeks of being on constant alert. She smiled down at his form; he looked so young when he slept, especially sprawled out across the bed as he was. Bending down, she pressed a feather light kiss to his lips before quickly pulling back, not wanting to take any more risks of him waking up, not when he really needed some rest.

On the way out of their bedroom, she grabbed her robe, pulling it on despite the fact that as a vampire, she no longer felt the cool chill of the night. She walked down the stairs with a grace that only something supernatural could have, looking around cautiously, that feeling still tumbling around in her stomach. She soon found herself searching the entire ground floor of the mansion and came up with nothing.

But the feeling in her stomach just wouldn't go away and Caroline decided that maybe she just needed to feed; it had been a while since she had her last cup of blood. She made up her mind, heading to the kitchen.

Caroline sighed as she reached the fridge, opening the door of the fridge. She took one of the blood bags that she always kept stocked at the back of the fridge, quickly popping it open and taking a long gulp, sighing in slight pleasure as it ran down her throat.

She closed the door heavily and turned, only to have her heart stop at the sight that greeted her. Caroline took a deep breath, ready to scream for help when the witch in front of her raised her arm and the air caught. Caroline coughed, choking, her blood bag slipping through her fingers, spilling all over the floor, staining the tile red.

Caroline gasped, automatically trying to get oxygen, even though she technically didn't need it. Still, oxygen was vital to all creatures, even dead ones and as she panicked, she collapsed to the floor in the pool of blood, clawing at the invisible hand squeezing her throat.

"Esther?" She managed to choke out as the witch approached, looking down at her, her hand stretched out in front of her and towards Caroline. "W-What are you doing?"

"It's simple really." Esther said monotonously, coming closer and closer. Caroline tried to crawl backwards but her whole body seemed to be on fire now, burning its way through her body, leaving only agony in it's wake.

"S-stop." Caroline choked out, tears of pain blurring her vision. Soon enough Esther was right before, crouching down so she was at the younger blonde's level. She tried to move away, she really did, but she was far too week for that, and Esther was far too strong.

In the next instant, she felt the witch press the palm of her hand to Caroline's forehead and her entire _soul_ seized in anguish. It was like there was something being forced into her, another presence, something that didn't belong. It was taking her over, slowly, painfully, until all feeling finally began to fade.

_Fading, fading, everything's fading, _Caroline found herself wondering, her mind a daze, her eyes becoming heavier and heavier.

_Fading, fading-_

_Gone._

* * *

When Caroline awoke, her body was moving, doing things without her permission. She was walking somewhere, carrying something heavy in her arms. She tried to look down to see what it was but she couldn't. She couldn't do anything, she was just here, in the back of her mind, observing.

It was a cage, an unbreakable, unbearable cage. She fought against, trying to figure out what was going, what had happened.

And the she felt it again, the other presence, the one that didn't belong. The presence moved her head, forcing her to look down.

Caroline knew exactly who was in her mind when she saw the face of the body she had been holding in her arms.

_Esther._

It was like knowing who it was unlocked her thoughts and in the next moment, Caroline could see _everything_, she could see Esther's mind.

_Must hide my body until I can return to it later, must complete the mission, must, must, must… _The thoughts invaded Caroline's consciousness, thoughts that were not her own.

It seemed that the witch could sense her too, however, and in the next instant, Caroline found herself being attacked in her own mind, Esther's voice telling her to sleep, to leave, to sleep.

Caroline tried to fight her off, she really did. She tried to fight of the lulling, the darkness, because she needed to stop Esther, needed to stop her from doing what she was about to do.

But she wasn't strong enough. She was never strong enough.

The dark surrounded her.

* * *

Caroline wasn't sure how long she'd been here, locked away in this dark corner of her mind. She banged against the walls of her cage, trying to get herself out. _Let me out! Let me out! I need to stop her!_

_I have to save them!_

_Please, please…_

She couldn't do it, she couldn't, she couldn't…

And then she heard it, the thought that changed everything, that made her fight harder than she ever thought she could.

_Niklaus_, Esther thought, _Niklaus will be the first_.

Caroline panicked, her heart, her soul, clenching in fear. _No, no. I won't let that happen! _With all her power, she bashed against the walls of her dark cell, and she did it again, and she did it again.

She did it until finally, _finally_ she crashed her way through.

Caroline could see through her own eyes again, could feel her bod, she realized after a moment. And then she actually _saw_ what was in front of her. There lay Klaus, just as she had left him, sleeping soundly. Her heart sunk in relief until Caroline felt what she had in her hand.

A stake. _White oak stake_, the thought was filtered through Caroline's mind. Immediately Caroline fought even harder against Esther, as the witch battled for control over the vessel she was possessing.

_Get out of my body, you bitch! _Caroline shouted at her only to hear Esther chanting something back at her, something in a language she did not recognize. Caroline felt herself weakening again as Esther gained ground, forcing Caroline's arm to move so it was poised about Klaus' sleeping form, right above his chest.

Her arm began moving downward, hand wrapped tightly around the stake. The white oak stake. Down. Down. Down. Ready to drive through his heart.

Caroline fought Esther with all of her bitter determination, with all she had.

All of the strength in her body when into that hand, fighting against herself. And still down it went.

_No, no, no, no._

Down.

_NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!_

Down.

The stake pierced his chest.

Caroline screamed.

**OK guys, that's it for this time, next week the final chapter and then after that the epilogue! Don't worry, I won't keep you all in wait… again. Also, I hope the ending wasn't too confusing.**

**Just a side note, the whole blood vial thing was something I did because it occurred to me there was a flaw in my reasoning when I said that Richard was given Rebekah's blood as an emergency measure, one that would last long enough for him to actually get use of it. As you know, there weren't any freezers or fridges at the time and without them the blood would certainly coagulate, therefore rendering it useless (at least from what I understand). Soo, anyways, that's where the whole magical vial thingie came from ;)**

**About the white oak stake, you will find out how Esther got it next chapter ;) (Look at Robb's message for clues ;D)**

**Anyways, thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

**RW**


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